The Kitsune's Curse
by Natarii-loves-Chocolate-milk
Summary: A thousand years ago, love was found, a wedding planned, and a murder was committed; since that day, Konohagakure was cursed in recompense till that murdered soul was born again. SasuFemNaru. Kitsune/Japanese Folklore Influence. Angsty-Twisted-Style Happy Ending. CHARACTER DEATHS PLURAL.
1. Sayuri: Revenge

**The Kitsune's Curse  
****サスケ ****& ****ナルコ**

* * *

A thousand years ago, love was found, a wedding planned, and a murder was committed; since that day, Konohagakure was cursed in recompense till that murdered soul was born again. SasuFemNaru. Kitsune/Japanese Folklore Influence. Angsty-Twisted-Style Happy Ending.

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**Chapter One  
****~ Sayuri; ~  
****小百合**

* * *

_My love will grow black if your heart gets stolen;  
__just promise to keep your heart.  
__One day I'll come back if the door's still open.  
__Forever and after, my love.  
__Just promise to keep your heart broken._

* * *

At first glance, Konohagakure was a picturesque mountain village.

It had rich farmland, surrounded by woodland, the Nakano river a silvery ribbon that glinted through its rich greenery in the sunlight. Many would believe that the spirit that protected the village was a benevolent, kind being, and that the village prospered.

However, first glances were not what they appeared, for Konoha was a _cursed_ village.

When the time came for crops to be harvested, droughts would set in, leaving only the minimum needed by the village to survive. The river would shrink within its banks leaving only enough for the villagers to live roughly.

All because the village ancestors had cause such great anger and grief for their guardian spirit, known by name no more, but still greatly feared.

A thousand thousand years previously, when the village had once flourished under the care of their guardian spirit, Konohagakure became a victim of some small pranks by a nine-tailed fox spirit after one of the farmers had disturbed her home in the local forest making more space for his cattle.

Though harmless, the pranks caused a great many problems for the villagers, and so they appealed to their guardian to appease the fox after their attempts to tick and capture the creature themselves failed, forgetting to mention that they had disturbed her forest home without care or due respect.

On behalf of the villagers under his care, the spirit approached the forest, and attempted to reason with her. After explaining her own complaints to him, the spirit was torn; his villagers were suffering, but the fox had been robbed of her home when the farmer chopped down the trees for his animals to have more space.

Eventually, he appeased her by insisting on the villagers that they provide her with offerings in compensation, and she agreed to stay at the home he held on the edge of the village (where few bothered him unless something of importance came along) until her own home had recovered.

The villagers had no problem with this, and frequently left offerings of azukimeshi and abura-age, which spirits like she were known to be partial to, at a new Hokura in the forest, though few noticed the small arguments the two spirits would have when the fox girl claimed the morsels.

The years passed without incident, and the forest stared to grow back, signifying the return of the vixen Kitsune spirit to her home... but when the time came for her to leave, something very unexpected happened.

The village guardian asked her to stay with him, saying his temple mansion home would be lonely without company, and she happily complied.

During the time in which the forest took to re-grow, the spirit became dearly fond of her. Often would the villagers go looking for him with some news or trouble, only to find him speaking with her in some secret spot - not so secluded as to cause unwelcome rumour, but enough to offer some privacy.

He would either give or leave flowers for her on the Hokura that had been built, ones that spoke volumes and made his affection for her clear. The villagers watched on half-amused, half-curious to the outcome of his attempt at courtship. Especially when she persistently left yellow tulips on the steps of his own shrine, a clear sign that his intent was one sided.

She was very stubborn, and so she continued to leave the yellow tulips for him, but a close watcher would see her little game with him, for she would still take a great delight in arranging the flowers left on her little shrine, or taking their seeds and scattering them in the forest.

They would dance together with smiles and excitement during harvest festivals, or the wedding of a particularly blessed couple, walk often along the riverbank, and exchange small words with the old man who sold good rice to the village on his travels together. And of course, the spirit never failed to give her flowers each and every day.

She was always _especially_ pleased with the Wasurenagusa; one villager, a fisherman on the river, saw the exchange of the little flowers between the two spirits on the riverbank. After smelling the blossoms, detecting a scent no human could have found in them, she allowed her companion some more... _affectionate_ exchanges.

They did of course argue on occasion, and the village would usually suffer some unpleasant rain or wind till it was settled. The two would always avoid each other during these times, as both were incredibly stubborn types, and the villagers would see the two grumpy spirits sulking at their disagreement around the village.

They would later hear the happy laughter when the female spirit appeared at her shrine, and would find a heaped pile of flowery apology awaiting her; lavender, kuchinashi, red white and yellow tsubaki, or as once appeared, a strange, foreign flower that one passing farmer swore set her dainty face aflame.

When winter arrived with the passing years, the female spirit would leave, having no real need to stay for the cold months as their guardian did, and the village guardian would grow sullen in those cold snowy months.

Her absence saddened their guardian greatly; he would vanish from their lives for days on end, and would remain so until the shrine, which he had continued to lay flowers on unseen sustaining their life with magic, would clear.

It was after one of these winters that the villagers noticed that the harsh winters made it hard for their crops to regrow, or would be longer than usual if she did not reappear on time with the first grass roots of spring.

They realised that the female spirit their beloved guardian held in his heart had a direct effect on their village at times, and began to grow concerned. They suspected her private game of rejection to be a Nogitsune's spell, designed to distract their guardian so she could let a true disaster befall them unnoticed at a later date.

In timing with this new suspicion, she returned to the village, and a few weeks later one of the villagers watched her secretly as she picked a single benibara from her shrine. The villager was Elder Namikaze, and he noted that blatant admission of love brought her a good deal of joy.

Later that same evening, one of the shrine attendants watched with worry as their guardian picked up not a tulip, but a keshiki, it's golden colour reflecting in the spirits dark eyes as as he realised it's meaning.

A wedding was announced for the pair, to be held at the end of the harvest season in late autumn. Unfortunately, while the villagers had forgiven the fox spirit for her previous pranks - for they had been rightly deserved on reflection - they were not much fond with the notion of their beloved guardian taking such a lower spirit to wife.

They much believed that, with trickery magic known only to the fox spirits, she had bewitched him, seeking to keep their kind guardian for herself; they secretly thought her a true Nogitsune than the simple fun loving spirit she was, and drastic action was taken in secret amidst the wedding preparations.

A messenger was sent to a village to the north, which had been known to suffer attacks from a malevolent fox spirit some years previously. The priest in the village spoke of a special jewel-like ball, known as a hoshi-no-tama, held by all Kitsune spirits; if separated from this small ball of light, the spirit would surely die, and spoke of sacred spells that would destroy such gems.

Only one man, the ancient man named Jiraiya who travelled through the village often, selling his highly praised sacks of rice, protested the idea, begging them to reconsider before their actions proved to have unwanted consequences, but it was to no avail.

The night before the wedding was due to take place, in the dead dark, they headed into the forest. With their information in hand, the villagers waited by the forest Hokura for the young fox spirit to approach it (so to collect the morsels of food that had been placed on it as an offering).

Soon she arrived, taking the abura-age pieces with a happy grin. As soon as she was distracted, they set upon her, stealing the ball from her and quickly smashing it; it was said that the cry of anguish she let out in her last breaths haunted the villagers for years to come.

Her scream alerted the guardian spirit to the plans of his villagers, but by the time he had materialised at the scene, it was too late; the jewel that held her soul was smashed into a thousand pieces, her human body cold and reverted to one of nine sleek tails, and golden fur that had lost its shine.

Desperately, he scraped the prices back together, piecing them back into place only to find the last, thousandth piece gone. His hopes of piecing it back together and reviving her gone with it, in his anger, he turned on the now fearful villagers.

"You fools! You know not what you have done! What do you accomplish with this betrayal?" he snarled, his mouth snarling to reveal hidden canine teeth at the villagers.

"Great Spirit, we beg of your understanding; this fox spirit has bewitched you. We sought only to free you from her curse!" Elder Hyūga explained, eager to sooth the confusion he thought in the spirit's eyes.

"You think me bewitched, but you have bewitched yourselves! You would care more so for your rice fields than a servant of Inari-sama? Naruto long watched over your harvest, helped better it's growth every spring more than I ever could, and she had no need of such responsibility!" he roared at them, shocking several of the gathered elders.

They believed the success of their crops after the hard winters was the protective blessing from their guardian, but he said it was the fox girl he held so dear, the fox now dead at their feet.

The villagers begged forgiveness, but the spirit could do nothing but rage such was his grief. Picking up the small vulpine body, he turned to the villagers in anger and spoke their grievances after they pleaded their feeble excuses.

"Great Spirit, we did not... We thought... If we had known-"

"Ignorance is no excuse for your actions, and for them you and your descendants are cursed from this day!" he roared, interrupting Elder Hyūga, his fury and loss unmistakeable.

There was a terrified, anguished, stunned silence through the dark, grim glade as the spirit's words echoed through it, surrounding the villagers and latching onto them.

"...Neither you nor your descendants will ever leave this valley, and none shall enter! You will only grow what would have you survive. Where are the leaders of this village? Bring them forward! There will be one more price paid for this treachery."

The elders of the village - the so-called wise ones who had suggested the plot at first thought - stepped forward, fearful of the angered spirit.

"Yamanaka, Haruno, Aburame, Namikaze, Hyūga, Sarutobi, Akimichi, Nara... You are the leaders of this village, the conspirators of this foul crime, and the condition for the removal of this curse rests on your heads!" they were told in fierce, furious tones.

"What is this condition? We would gladly pay it to make amends for our fault!" Elder Namikaze asked pleadingly; though he and his clan had at first objected to the crime they had committed, they had also still participated, and knew whatever price demanded of them would be equal to their dishonour.

"One piece of this hoshi-no-tama is lost, but Naruto is not yet fully gone. She can be reborn if the last piece of the hoshi-no-tama is found, along with a body that matches her previous one. Once so, her spirit will be reborn, revealing itself on the sixteenth birthday of one of your daughters..." the spirit told in a vice retaining personal hope, one so small and strong that it grieved the villagers more for their terrible mistake.

"...On such days, it will rain from cloudless skies, as is the tradition of Kitsune weddings, and she will walk with her family to the entrance of shrine that I dwell in, and stay there for seven days and nights. If on the last night she does not return... Then the curse will have been lifted, if not, she will be the price for your failures! Blood for blood! That is the condition for which to remove this curse!" the spirit snarled, bearing his canine shaped-teeth as tears flowed in unyielding lines over his cheeks.

The villagers could not speak as he sank to the ground, sobs of grief wreaking havoc through his body in shudders as he held the small vixen body close and grieved for her. Elder Haruno was the first to notice that his cries were not dissimilar to the call of the Fox spirit they had so cruelly murdered, the first to connect many tiny clues together in her mind.

As he mourned, an old man with long grey hair in a ponytail and travellers clothes approached, leaning heavily on his long knobbly cane (taller than himself by several measures) to compensate for the heavy packages of rice he carried on his back.

It was Jiraiya the Rice Seller. Pushing through the crowd, he approached the grieving spirit, crouched beside him, and gently, soothingly, threaded his gnarled, kindly fingers through the spirit's dark hair with a tremor in his hand, and a tear steaming down one of his grizzled cheeks.

The spirit clutched at the man's trousers, his choked sobs only slightly muffled, seeming to flow with less restraint with the comforting gesture from the old man. Slowly, so slowly that it took the villagers some time to notice the occurrence, the spirit left his human appearance behind, taking one that matched the girl so recently lost.

The ice white fox nuzzled and whined sadly at the golden furred vixen, laying his head over her neck, staying there and curling his three tails around her, as if to warm her back to life, or not to move and depart the world with her. The old man ran his fingers softly, sadly, in a reminiscent affectionate gesture behind the vixen's ears, his voice sad and quiet as he addressed the villagers without a glance.

"Kitsune spirits are such picky creatures when they choose a partner, Sasuke especially so. He was stubborn since he was but a cub. However, once they choose another, there is no changing. I often thought he would never choose but I was mistaken. I should have realised he chose her long ago..."

The old man stroked the white fox as it nudged and licked the face of the dead gold nine-tailed Kitsune, refusing to leave her side despite the old man's silent encouragement to do so.

"...The hoshi-no-tama is not simply a portion of their power, it is their soul. When two Kitsune exchange those balls of light during sun showers, it not simply choosing a partner as you humans would..." he explained to them.

Elder Yamanaka was the first to realise the extent of grief just what their crime had afflicted the white Kitsune spirit, and almost cried herself. Quietly, she explained to the other elders that the two spirits cared so much that they would have trusted the care of their soul to the other on the wedding which would have taken place the next day.

The realisation came with paling faces to the village leaders.

"...If you understand the severity of what pain you have caused my son, then you will understand why I choose _not_ to revoke the curse he has placed on you" the old man finished, his tone unyielding.

Slowly he, stroked the grieving white fox on the head.

"Come along Sasuke; this is not the place for her, or your grief. Your brothers and sisters will wish to see her put to rest too..." he murmured to the animal.

The whine returned, a sad mournful tone of acceptance, and the spirit moved aside for his master to pick up the still form of the golden vixen. The body was small when cradled in the old man's arms, the nine lifeless tails draping over the arm that carried her.

Sasuke - as the villagers now knew their guardian spirit to be named - sat on his haunches, staring at her mournfully, before darting through the trees to the shrine; his silvery white fur glinted as he took a piece of abura-age from the altar.

As he darted back beneath the trees, a foul, hateful glare to the villagers as he passed them (threatening even with his muzzle filled with the abura-age offering), his white fur was stained black as he entered the shadowed wood.

Slowly, he padded on light paws to his master's side, his own hoshi-no-tama glowing faintly in one curl of his three tails, and soared up through the still night air towards the unmoving female, and placed the small snack near her muzzle, before floating up onto the old man's opposite shoulder, and curling upon it with a small whine.

It was with heavy hearts that the villagers watched the old man, and the heartbroken fox spirit disappear with the carcass of their crime out of the forest and into the paddy fields.

As if to emphasise their folly, the villagers of Konohagakure were surrounded by the low, mournful barks and yelps of every fox in their valley.

This was what had cursed Konohagakure for a thousand years. Though the names of the spirits were long forgotten, the villagers had not forgotten what they had committed upon the spirits that had so well protected them.

As promised, the newly black furred fox spirit wove illusions around the village, trapping every villager in their valley, and all of their ancestors as the years passed. Time passed over the village, and Konohagakure disappeared from maps as travellers passed it by.

They followed the requirements of the curse to the letter, the main families sending their daughters for seven days and nights to the old temple on their sixteenth birthday even as they strove to find the missing piece of hoshi-no-tama.

But they could not find it, and so the girls never returned home alive, nor the curse ever lifted. The village searched and searched, yet more girls died, and the village continued to fade farther into oblivion with every passing year.

Without fail, each year's passage was marked by the mournful cries of the fox spirits in remembrance of their dead sister, and support of their grieving brother.

Sixteen years before the thousandth year of the curse, came the birth of a second baby girl in the Namikaze Family. The relief at her birth, as female children were regarded as highly as males now, was marred.

To the dismay of her parents, she was cursed; upon each of her cheeks were three, pale, thin lines that the _kamunushi_ declared the mark of a fox's curse. For fear of what such knowledge might cause the village, the _kamunushi_ had her parents hide her marks.

Unbeknownst to the villagers, the fox spirit who had cursed them watched over the miyamairi ceremonies of all the girls born in the village, for he knew that the chosen child would have a mark upon her, so that he may know that a suitable body for her soul had been found.

But her parents feared the sign they had been given, and so he did not see the whisker marks on the cheeks of Namikaze Naruko.

* * *

_**Yes, another new story. An Angsty Story. A very very much Angsty story. There will be very much angst in this story. Just making sure that's clear. There will also be character deaths. Not out of character hate though! Even the ones I don't like aren't hate-filled deaths. That's not my writing style.**_

_**But yeah, major number character deaths – I mean, Naruko got killed off straight away. Everyone else is completely free game now. Even Sasuke. So yeah, be warned.**_

_**Abura-age is deep fried tofu, which Kitsune spirits are supposedly very fond of. Put it on udon, and you get Kitsune Udon! Miyamairi is the Japanese equivalent of a christening ceremony.**_

_**There were several words I could have picked for 'Priest' but 'Kamunushi' seemed the best. An yes, I know that in today's Japanese it's spelled wrong, but this isn't a modern setting. That said, if anyone knows one more appropriate, feel free to chime in :)**_

_**To be clear, the flower thing was Sasuke flirting with Naruto through Hanakotoba. And Naruto was rejecting him, but not really rejecting him.**_

_**The meanings are as follows;**_

_**Lavender - faithful (didn't translate this since it's pretty much the same as in English).  
**__**Tulip - One-sided love (same as Lavender for translation).  
**__**Kuchinashi (Gardenia) - secret love.  
**__**Tsubaki (Camellia) - in love (red), longing (yellow), waiting (white).  
**__**Wasurenagusa (forget-me-not) - true love.  
**__**Benibara (red rose) - love/in love.  
**__**Keshiki (yellow poppy) - success.**_

_**A full list can be found on Wikipedia - just type Hanakotoba. As always, don't take my word for the meanings. If anyone can correct me, I welcome it. That said, there are a few types of flower language, so if you do want to, be sure it's the Japanese one.**_

_**Kind of important since it will run through the story, but I'll translate them as I go. I do recommend going to the Wikipedia article though. And if anyone has a longer list I'll be glad for a link or something :)**_

_**As usual, there will be no update schedule other than what the muses give me XD My main focus is on stupid Sensei and Blurred sound, so unless I feel inspired it won't be updated quick. I was in a good mood after meeting The Queen and Duke of Edinburgh yesterday though (not joking – I really did. The duke spoke to me too!), and good moods make me post things. I had this handy lol.**_

_**Hope you guys liked the prologue. I'm trying to use more of them in my attempt to master the elusive oneshot. This was supposed to be a oneshot... I have five chapters written already...**_

_**Hope you guys liked the chapter :)**_

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**Chapter Title;** '_Sayuri_' is an orange lily, meaning '_Hatred/Revenge_'.  
**Song Quote;** _'__Keep Your Heart Broken__'_ by The Rasmus.


	2. Ayame: Good News

**The Kitsune's Curse  
****サスケ ****& ****ナルコ**

* * *

A thousand years ago, love was found, a wedding planned, and a murder was committed; since that day, Konohagakure was cursed in recompense till that murdered soul was born again. SasuFemNaru. Kitsune/Japanese Folklore Influence. Angsty-Twisted-Style Happy Ending.

* * *

**Chapter Two  
****~ Ayame ~**  
**菖蒲**

* * *

_Overcoming thousands of nights, I'll go see you now.  
__There's something I must tell you; I want to be loved,  
__but you don't seem to love me.  
__Wandering within that repetition I found a single answer;  
__even scared, and even hurt I can __tell the person I love 'I love you'.  
__Even if those feelings don't come true,  
__I can tell the person I love 'I love you',  
__and that's the most wonderful thing in the world._

* * *

Naruko stood solemnly and stared at the large shrine as her mother explained the the curse on the village again, and by extension, herself.

Her mother had just told her the story of the spirit who had cursed their village. It all sounded extremely sad to her. She had wondered why her parents always seemed so sad on her older sister's birthday. Now it made more sense.

There were still some things that confused her about the whole situation her though...

"Okaa-sama... Why didn't the female spirit fight back when the villagers hurt her? What did Inari-sama mean about the hoshi-no-tama? Why do Kitsune give them away if they are so important to them?" she asked, struggling to wrap her mind around that part of the story.

Naruko's mother smiled at her, then turned her gaze towards the shrine, and started their prayers after placing down the offering of abura-age on the altar.

"Because she was not the nogitsune they feared. She loved the village, and helped protect it with the male spirit, far more than he did even. She would never have raised a hand to harm them, even if she were a little mischievous at first..." her mother replied, answering the first question as they knelt in front of the shrine.

"And the male spirit? He turned black didn't he? Is he a nogitsune now? Is it because of the hoshi-no-tama?" she asked; her mother nodded.

"Yes, that's how much Konoha's guardian loved the female Kitsune; he trusted her with the care of his soul, and she with his. They never got the chance to show it though..." she explained sadly.

Naruko thought about it, and suddenly felt very sad at the thought too.

"...because my ancestors hurt her soul when they attacked her?" the four-year-old asked haltingly.

Her mother was a common villager; all the older women in her family were. Since none of the girls born into the blood Namikaze line had ever lived past their sixteenth birthday for nearly a thousand years.

Naruko considered the matter from the view of the angered male spirit, and felt tears welling up in her eyes; he must be so _sad..._ and _angry!_ No wonder they had been cursed. They deserved it for doing such a cruel thing.

"Yes, there is a chance we can restore her, by finding the last piece of it, but many have searched and none have found it. Most think it a trick of the male Kitsune to give us false hope now..." her mother sighed sadly; Naruko suspected her mother was one of those many searchers.

Once their prayers were done, her mother stood staring around the sacred section of forest with a sad expression that, frankly, bored her young daughter. Picking up the skirts of her kimono, Naruko looked up at her mother, tugging impatiently on her own long, silk, clothing.

"Okaa-sama, can I go explore the shrine?" she asked.

Her mother nodded distractedly.

"Just don't touch anything and keep to the path..." she said, bending her neck to prayers again.

Permission gained, Naruko quickly headed through the grassy clearing that surrounded the shrine. Nothing had changed from the description of the original according to her parents, and the scrolls her father read to her on occasion.

Wild flowers carpeted the sunny, mossy grass, and leaves and twigs had fallen from the branches above, except on the Hokura itself, which the villagers kept clean and tidy and filled with fresh offerings.

She soon found herself picking small white flowers with sunny yellow centres - she'd make them into a crown for the small statue of the female Kitsune that graced the shrine. There were a great variety that grew around the shrine, but only a few seemed appropriate

She then started picking some Wasurenagusa, her favourite flowers, that nestled amongst some tree roots. They were the only patch of such flowers in the whole forest, in the village even, and she often came to pick from the patch when her parents allowed her outside.

Naruko was wondering how she would weave them into the crown when something glistened and glittered from the centre of their blue petals. Glancing down between the stalks, she saw it again, and after pushing them aside with her fingers, she pulled out a small, translucent fragment of thick stone, only it was completely see-through.

She had never seen anything like it before! Clear rock? What a _strange_ thing! Rather than something natural, clear rock was like something a _spirit_ had left behind, a _treasure_. Naruko considered showing the discovery to her mother, but after glancing at it again, she had an overwhelming desire to keep it to herself, keep it _secret_.

A small yelp caught her attention, and she whirled around, but found no creature to have made the sound. She continued to glance around however, certain she hadn't misheard. Her eyes settled on a dark thicket, two glowing red lights peering at her from it.

"Naruko! We're leaving now! Your tutor will be arriving at the estate soon!"

Hearing her mother's call, Naruko was jerked from her observance of the thicket, and hurriedly deposited the clear rock into a small locket with a sapphire in it that hung on a long chain around her neck. Something in her said it wouldn't do to have her mother find the strange rock.

"Naruko!"

"Coming Okaa-sama!" Naruko called.

Rearranging the necklace beneath her under kimono, she gave the thicket one last glance, and then darted away back towards the main part of the shrine.

* * *

Seated on the steps of the Hokura, the black, five-tailed spirit batted the stem of the small blue flower between his paws playfully, before picking the flower up in his jaws and disappearing into the forest towards his own shrine.

He should have known that he would never have found the last piece himself, but he had _seen_ her. She didn't seem to remember yet, but she would notice her odd traits soon enough, question them as she grew older.

She hadn't changed. Even the vessel that regrew her soul reflected her appearance. He remembered her human appearance as a kit, running around their master's feet, and the small child who had picked up the fragment was _ghost-like_ in her similarity.

He could only imagine what she would look like when she was older... She didn't have the marks he had been searching for, Naruto's birthmarks, but no other girl would have found the last piece of the hoshi-no-tama... Perhaps he hadn't cast the magic right?

He couldn't believe it was her! He'd started to loose hope that her spirit would piece itself back together, that his magic hadn't been strong enough to help her, but finally, finally she'd come back.

He'd missed her so much, every day he'd mourned for her, every night he was plagued by the memory of her death. He missed their talking, the fights over food, and the few, irritatingly brief moments she'd allowed him to embrace her, or even rarer, press his lips against hers.

He _missed_ her. He missed her so _much_, and finally, _finally_, she'd returned to him. Her body was young yet, but spirits were patient. He would wait the appropriate length of time before her spirit revealed itself in her new body. It wouldn't be much longer now that the last piece had been found.

He would have to test her to be sure, discreetly, but he was certain he'd found her again. There were things that would linger in the reborn spirit that inhabited her, things that would be strange if she paid attention proper to them. It was simply a matter of time.

She would come back to him completely, and he had already waited this long; he could wait for her a little longer.

* * *

The sound of tears from the other end of the walkway filled the Namikaze estate, but Naruko had yet to react to her sister's death the same way her mother was.

Even her father had shed tears when he had seen them returning through the streets with Karin's body from the shrine. Naruko did not shed any tears. Her mother was inconsolable, as were most of the servants.

She was the only one who felt nothing.

She came across as angry, and so may people thought the young girl was grieving, but that wasn't the reason (she didn't bother clarifying though). She was angry for one simple reason; this curse business was taking too long.

Nearly a thousand years as passed already! _Surely_ that was enough time for the female spirit to recover? Or say _something_ to her partner with her fox magic? Just how long were they supposed to live with death hanging over their heads like this?

Scowling as she wandered through the garden, Naruko caught sight of her reflection in the fish pond, and bent down to stare at the circling koi. Raising a hand to her cheek, she washed of some of her face powder, and carefully examined the strange birthmarks on her face.

Her parents were always terrified that someone would _see_ them, terrified they were some kind of _extra_ curse from the nogitsune, so they made her hide them. She didn't even get to leave the compound all that much. So the spirit didn't find her presumably.

As she stared into the pond, she heard a rustle from the bushes at the edge of the garden; glancing round, she saw a small red fox poking it's head out from under the engawa. It watched her curiously, and yipped cheerfully.

Having been taught better than to ignore one of the servants of the nogitsune, she approached it carefully, kneeling properly in front of it and bending her back in a small bow.

"What is it? Are you lost? Did you get stuck here?" she asked, crawling a little closer, lowering her face so she was looking the animal straight in the eye (those few seconds of decorum had been more than enough for the eight year old).

It pondered her question, then licked her face with a happy yip, before heading up onto the engawa and around the corner of her mansion home. After a few seconds it reappeared and yipped at her again, more pointedly this time, glancing around the corner and pawing at the ground impatiently.

She debated for a few moment as whether she should follow, before finally taking a couple of steps forward.

"Naruko-sama! _There_ you are! Goodness, you mustn't wander at a time like this child!"

Naruko blinked in confusion where the fox had been standing only a second ago, then turned around to see one of the family servants heading towards her with a relieved look on his face.

"I was only looking at the garden Darui" she said, mourning the loss of her adventure.

Darui was descended from one of the travellers from a neighbouring village that had been trapped in Konoha when the curse first fell on them. He was one of the few servants who actually liked her too. Unlike the villagers.

For some reason, a lot of people were scared of her; she was young but not blind or stupid. They went out of their way to be nice to her in the market when she did go out into the town. She'd never figured out why, but Darui was one of a few who did not treat her like a cursed doll.

Naruko guessed her parents' distance with her was the cause of it.

"Then where did your face powder go? Come along, your mother is calling for you, and she'll be _most_ displeased if she sees you wandering the halls without it" he chided with a grin.

Naruko grinned back, took the outstretched hand, and after giving a last glance over her shoulder at the corner where the fox had vanished, followed him back inside.

* * *

Naruko's parents died when she was ten years old.

The line of an Elder clan died with them, and the village grieved.  
Their caskets were lowered into the earth in the family grave, and the village grieved.  
The kamunushi sounded their prayers and the village grieved.

Naruko did not grieve. She cried, mourned out of respect the people who had raised her for the past ten years, but her tears were false. She had always struggled to understand her parents, and never felt their presence all that strongly.

If she considered anyone to be a paternal figure, it would be Darui or Tsunade, her old nurse. Possibly Ino's parents now too. She had been taken in by her friend's parents (her having a slight family relation to them making them the only suitable couple to take her in, according to the kamunushi)

She was grateful to her parents, of course. They raised for her, taught her, fed her, clothed her as any parent would, and possibly even cared for her, but they didn't love her like they had Karin, and Naruko didn't find herself to care that they did not.

It was almost like they were aware of something she wasn't, and kept a distance from her emotionally. Perhaps because they knew she was likely to die on the week of her sixteenth birthday, but Karin had been the same, and they had loved her far dearer.

Whatever the reason, they had been little more than carers to her. She _was_ grateful to them, and would miss them, but their passing on caused her little notable grievance.

Their passing _was_ of biggest concern to the kamunushi and other elders however. She was an only child with Karin gone, and so when she died on her sixteenth birthday, the Namikaze line would end with her.

How would it be for one of the ruling family lines that could possibly save their village to die out? How would the curse be lifted? Naruko sighed, and pulled her kimono layers over her and curled up on her futon, listening to the nightingales in the trees that grew nearby, and promptly fell asleep.

She was only ten years old; such things were really of no concern to her.

* * *

"Sasuke? Are you there?"

The small black fox lifted his head from his paws and tilted his head at the sound of the familiar voice. Jumping lightly from his perch on the roof, he landed gracefully on the shoulder of the old man who had soundlessly appeared on the steps of the Honden.

"You're _still_ in this form? I would have thought you'd have left it by now. You look thin... Have you been eating anything at all these past years?" the man scolded, rubbing a hand gently between his ears.

If a fox could look sheepish, then the slight curling of his tails that Sasuke exhibited on the man's shoulder was a prime example of it.

"_Sasuke_... I know you miss her, but if you don't eat you might not last long enough to see her come back..." Jiraiya (as the master preferred be called by his most favourite fox friends) murmured.

Sasuke whined at the minor admonishment, his tails hanging low over the old man's shoulder. It wasn't as if he was neglecting to eat, he _did_ go hunting at times, and the villagers left plenty of abura-age but...

It wasn't the _same_ any more. Not at _all_ the same. Not for _such_ a long time...

He'd _always_ gone hunting with Naruto. Always, always, _always_, ever since they had been kits getting tangled in the master's feet. One of them would chase rabbits out of their burrow and the other would go for a throat, and then they shared the kill.

"_Here_, never let it be said that I don't look after my foxes" the old man sighed; in his hand he held a hot slice of abura-age, just below Sasuke's nose.

Yipping his thanks, Sasuke quickly snapped the tofu up to his jaws and chewed welcomingly. Once finished, he licked the man's fingers of the juices - Jiraiya's tofu was always _so_ much better than anyone else's. That wasn't all that surprising though. He _was_ a Kami after all.

Nuzzling the man's ear affectionately, Sasuke allowed the man to scratch behind his ears and under his chin for a few moments, before shrugging away stubbornly. Sasuke had never been too fond of open affection from the master - he'd never thought it entirely proper.

Naruto had lapped it up of course, had been one of his favourites. He always gave her extra tofu when none of the others were looking. Then, when the master wasn't looking, she gave him a half.

"You should visit your brothers and sisters Sasuke; it would do you good to see them again, and they miss you. Your brother misses you terribly, the rest of the skulk too, and staying cooped up here can't make things any better for yo-"

Sasuke snarled, and jumped back up onto the roof, hackles raised, ears flat and tails twitching behind him, hissing in protest as he peered down over the edge at the old man. His meaning was painfully clear, and the master sighed in resignation.

"It was just a _suggestion_ Sasuke I'm not _making_ you leave" he said appealingly.

Sasuke hissed at him again - how could he _suggest_ leaving for even a moment? Besides waiting, if he left the village, the curse on it would follow him, and Sasuke would _not_ allow such a thing.

Those ingrate villagers would suffer for their crimes until they paid their dues back to Naruto. He would make sure of it.

"...alright, alright you stubborn little pup... Anyway, I heard from one of the younger ones that one of the clans is about to die out-"

Sasuke interrupted the old man with a series of excited yips, his irritable demeanour disappearing entirely. Jiraiya gave him a raised eyebrow in response, leaning atop his gnarled hands on his staff.

"So you had something to do with that after all... I thought it was a little strange; am I allowed to ask why you've started meddling directly all of a sudden?" the man asked.

Sasuke cocked his head contemplatively, then scratched behind his ear with a back leg before heading to the back of the Honden roof. Here he had amassed a small collection of Wasurenagusa from Naruto's Hokura.

Humans couldn't smell them, but he could, and they reminded him of her. She'd always smelled like Wasurenagusa. _Always__._ She'd been much more likely to let him kiss her when he gave her Wasurenagusa, back when he was trying to court her. The scent made her almost _kittenish_ with glee.

Picking up one of the dainty flowers in his mouth, he headed back to the front of the roof and dropped it down to the spot in front of Jiraiya's feet. The old man stared for a moment, picked up the flower and examined it carefully, seeing things no human would have seen in its petals.

A grin broke out on his face, then he started laughing so robustly he had to cling to his staff for support.

"Very well then; you obviously don't need my help. I'll be back in a few years to check up on you" he chortled, already turning away and heading down the steps.

Sasuke watched the old man disappearing into the forests, then curled into a ball atop the roof in his favourite sunny spot, his tails wrapping around him, providing a comfy pillow and some warmth from the slight wind.

One should always have a nap after abura-age, and though his dreams would be unpleasant, he refused to break habit over such trifling things.

* * *

**_First real chapter of the story done :) _**

**_The first few years of Naruko's life will pass quite quickly, mainly so I can start bringing Sasuke into her life, which he will be a part of before her birthday. For added future drama of course._**

**_Had the first character deaths, Karin, then Minato and Kushina. Aren't I cruel? I'm not done with Minato and Kushina yet though, so keep an eye out for them. Sasuke is... coping... ish, and Naruko is ten years old. _**

**_I changed her name because she isn't the exact same person as before. Similar, but not exactly the same. Neither is Sasuke. Hence why there will be some interaction before her birthday. They both need to see their relevant changes._**

**_Hope you guys like the chapter :)_**

* * *

**Chapter Title;** '_Ayame_' is an Iris, and means '_Good New__s_'.  
**Song Quote;** '_Sen no Yoru wo Koet__e_' by Aqua Timez (AKA Bleach First Movie Ending Theme).


	3. Sagiso: My Thoughts Will Follow You

**The Kitsune's Curse  
****サスケ ****& ****ナルコ**

* * *

A thousand years ago, love was found, a wedding planned, and a murder was committed; since that day, Konohagakure was cursed in recompense till that murdered soul was born again. SasuFemNaru. Kitsune/Japanese Folklore Influence. Angsty-Twisted-Style Happy Ending.

* * *

**Chapter Three  
****~ Sagiso ~** **  
鷺草**

* * *

_Whenever you hear the wind, I will be by your side;  
__protecting you as you live here and now  
__is more important than an inconsolable sadness, or loneliness.  
__If we can be born again, let's meet beneath the cherry trees;  
__I swear, when that time comes, we'll laugh forever.__  
__A life where I love, and am loved, is budding and blooming; that view will never fade.  
__A wish dances in my heart for you and I  
__to simply meet again._

* * *

Naruko was thirteen years old when she saw what happened to a girl who brought on the vengeful ire of the Nogitsune.

As usual the girl (older than her by only a few years) had not returned, nor had the curse been lifted, and the shrines burned incense in memory of Haruno Tayuya. When the party to collect her body had departed, Naruko had gone with Sakura and her family to the temple, in hopes of comforting her friend.

The body of Sakura's older sister had been left on the steps the shrine, like the others before her, but Naruto had never seen one of the dead girls uncovered before. Her wedding kimono had been ripped and torn in matched patterns to the bruises and claw marks that covered her.

She had been mauled by a raged animal that had been angered beyond imagining before her throat had been torn out. The eyes of her stiff corpse were wide in fear, clouded by mortality, and her mouth agape in a silent, echoing scream.

It had been far more violent than what she had heard of - usually a simple, clean snap of the neck, or in some cases suffocation. More haunting however were the decorations surrounding her.

Dark red higanbana, and bright orange Sayuri flowers were scattered around her. Naruko knew that this was how the spirit had communicated with the female spirit in the past, through Hanakotoba. Naruko knew the meaning of the flowers decorating the corpse of Sakura's older sister too, and she would have lied if they had not intimidated her a good deal.

Naruko had never spoken of her ability to understand the silent floral messages in a flowers petals; it was _taboo_, no longer practiced for fear of its courtship meaning to the fox demon, and people would immediately ask which of the village elders she had learned from.

It was true that Ino's family still practiced it, but it was part of their clan history, so it was allowed _only_ to them. She would never have been able to convince people she had never learned from anyone. She just _knew_.

It was one of those odd things her parents had noticed, and told her to keep quiet about when they still lived

A single red one tailed fox had been seated on his haunches beside Tayuya's body, and he had snarled at Sakura's father to be more cautious with what he taught his remaining daughter if he did not wish to see her suffer such a fate.

'_My master takes the suggestion of _replacements_ as an insult to himself... and to my mistress_' he'd said sharply, before disappearing inside the temple building.

This experience was what made Naruto so sure that the curse on their village was probably just the torture before it's end.

The fox had spoken as if the female spirit would still be revived, as if she still _lived_. Given he was but a messenger, did that not mean the angered Nogitsune who had cursed them knew something they didn't? Did he know when or who she would be reborn from?

Naruko hoped that was not the case. They already had one vengeful fox demon curse them; who was to say that, if by some chance, she or one of her friends turned out to be the soul the spirit had been waiting for...

Who was to say she wouldn't be just as angry? The female spirit their ancestors had murdered so cruelly? They hadn't just killed her and separated her from her lover, but turned her very _soul_ to shards... Something as measly as a _curse_ couldn't possibly compensate for that! Nothing could negate such a high spiritual crime!

Only another soul could, and human souls were vastly inferior to those of the spirits. That wasn't to say she was giving up on her life; she'd do whatever was in her power to keep it. She didn't particularly _want_ to die after all...

...even if she did somewhat sympathise with the spirits.

* * *

Naruko awoke from her dreams sweating and cold, desperately reaching out for the black fox that had haunted them seconds before.

Two years after Tayuya's death had been that of another older girl, one of the two Hyūga sisters, Hinata, she believed her name had been. The Hyūgas were paranoid outside influence would be an extra invitation for death however, so Naruko didn't know either of the girls that well.

She had been to pick up her body though, she was the last of her family, and until she died too, she was the representative for the Namikaze family. Hyūga Hinata hadn't had many flowers - some shirayuri, anemone, and amyrilys were all - but neither Hinata nor her flowers had been of Naruko's concern.

Throughout the ceremony, Naruko had felt like she was being watched, and it must have followed her into sleep to have as strange a dream as the one which had woken her.

In the dream, she had been standing by the Hokura of the female spirit when the small black vulpine had handed her a small bunch of dainty blue flowers from his jaws, before nuzzling her hand and disappearing into the forest after she had taken in the scent of the blossoms.

The scent of them had made her feel _warmth_ all over. Warm like that of life spreading through the cold body of a dead man. Of course, she had no choice to but follow the fox after that.

Through the branches, dark woodcutter trails and to the shrine itself. The fox had disappeared inside the very inner shrine, the Honden, and after running up the steps and placing her hand on the door to follow...

She had woken up in this state. Shivering, she sat up and pulled her kimono around her, and after rearranging the pillow and her futon from their disarray, opened the sliding door, half wondering if the spirit that had sent her the dream would be nearby.

It _had_ to be a dream from the spirits, it was the only thing she could think of that would explain it. It was such a strange dream that it had to be a test of some kind... Yet she saw no spirit that could have prompted it.

Turning back to her bed, she started, and took a step back. There on her pillow was a thick bunch of the pretty blue flowers, a bunch of _Wasurenagusa_. Slowly bending down, she picked up the flowers, feeling the slight dampness on their stems where they had been held, their _warmth_, the warm, beautifully sweet and comforting scent...

Whirling around again, she sighted a small fox seated on the garden wall; in its mouth was one of the blue flowers. It dropped it on the wall, yipped at her once, before picking it up once again, and disappearing on the other side of the wall.

Naruko settled back into her futon, trying to find sleep; it would be Tenten's birthday in a few weeks, and she needed all the mental preparation she could get to keep herself standing when the Nara girl was the one strewn over the shrine floorboards.

She finally found sleep but it was a difficult search. What little she did was filled with blue flowers and black foxes.

* * *

Sasuke stared the brown haired girl, two buns on either side of her head, decorated with a few kanzashi that matched her kimono. Her hand behind her back, he knew she was struggling to open the door.

It wouldn't work. He never understood why they always tried to open the door; they could simply break through the paper screens. It would at least give him the enjoyment of a decent hunt, a haunting one.

It would be nice to see them go insane as his own dreams made him so regularly. They always went for the door though. He'd have thought this one had more sense. She'd seemed practical enough, but then she was from one of the sensible clans.

Calmly taking her face between his hands he ignored the clawing grasp on his wrist and the terrified screaming that overcame her. Bating not even a lash, he twisted her head on her neck, savouring the sensation of the bone beneath her skin twisting unnaturally, and the snap as it broke.

She fell limply to the floor into a crushed pile of fabric and death, and he walked away; some of the minor spirits would take her body outside, leaving him to his madness and grief.

Why was it taking so long? She had the last piece of the hoshi-no-tama did she not? Surely it would have reminded her of the life that had been stolen from her now? And yet... Faceless, ignorable, unwanted _idiots_ were sent in her place!

Spawn of those _foul_ humans who had killed her, the spawn of those _murderers!_ It was his own fault he supposed, for placing the condition he had on the curse, but surely they had the brains to try and be more like her?

Idiots, all of them. Useless _idiots_, he should have known that they would never have managed such an easy task. He was unfortunately bound to his word now, otherwise he'd have sent a plague of starvation and disaster on those mongrel humans.

Still... There was nothing to say he couldn't speed things along. Watching the small, young cubs swarming over the dead girl's body for a moment, he told them which flowers to place on her corpse for her family to see, and then headed to the very back of the shrine, flickering into his own fox body and heading for his spot on the roof.

Nuzzling and pawing at the collection of Wasurenagusa, he let out a small, sad whine, before curling up next to them, his nose buried amongst the flowers, the familiar scent lulling him to sleep.

After a few days of dreams, he woke, and headed out of the shrine for the first time in a thousand years. He needed to see her, _properly_, not through illusions or tricks. He need to _talk_ to her. He had to _see_ her again. He knew it would be a while before she remembered him but that didn't matter. He just wanted to _see_ her...

It had been several years since he had last seen her new body. How old would she be now? He had never paid close attention to that. She had been young when he sighted her for the first time, she would be older now...

How many years _had_ it been? He slept so much... The nightmares were there, but memories also relayed while he slept, so he slept for months on end, waking only when some incompetent was delivered to his doorstep. How many years had passed since he had seen her?

He shook the thoughts from his head, and padded on his paws through the forest undergrowth; his question would be answered soon enough. He would watch her first, and then they would meet for the first time. For the second time.

* * *

There was yet another grim day in Konoha when Nara Tenten was returned from the shrine in the freeze of death.

Ino's father and the other clan heads took up discussion as usual as to what they could do to ensure a better result with the next girl. The next girl being Haruno Sakura. Like Naruko and Ino, she was still fifteen, so had a few months remaining to consider things.

Well, they'd all had their whole lives to do so. They were all part of a countdown, a ticking clock, their deaths dragging another girl closer to their own. It was a morbid way to live, but they had found ways to cope.

Naruko's own father had taught her to read and write and count, so she could help him in his study when she was younger. Similar occurrences happened with her friends; their parents had defied the social norms to make the best of the time they had.

It didn't matter whether they died, or turned out lucky; most girls in the ruling clans would only have sixteen years to spend with their parents and friends. They had to make the most of it.

A few days after Tenten's (thankfully merciful) death, she and Ino were in the garden at the Namikaze mansion with Sakura. Naruko had since moved back, the kamunushi telling her that she needed to be in her ancestral home since she was getting closer to her sixteenth birthday, but Darui and Tsunade kept her company. As did her friends.

"I wish there was a koi pond at home - I love watching them..." Sakura sighed, staring down at the fish she was throwing breadcrumbs to.

"We used to have one, but it was removed when we had the extra wing built" Ino added absently; she was more occupied with her book than Sakura's attraction to the fish.

Naruko herself was trying to get a nap under the old tree by the pond she was leaning against when she heard the yip of a fox. Starting up from her attempt at sleep she searched the view of the house and garden till her eyes settled on the engawa.

There was a small fox seated there on the raised wood boards. Giving it a closer look, she realised it was the same little red one she had seen years before. Sakura and Ino didn't seem to have noticed it at all; glancing back again, she found it had moved to the corner.

It wanted her to follow it again...

"I need to go check on something; if I don't get back in a few minuets, ask Tsunade and Darui to see to your rooms for the night, if they haven't already" she said, getting to her feet.

She didn't wait for her friends to answer. Instead she pulled herself to her feet and followed the creature as fast as the layers of kimono she was wearing would allow her to.

Naruko hated all the layers of cloth she was required to wear everyday. Regular villagers could get away with one or two layers, but the minimum she could have was about four. It depended on a variety of things.

Following the creature beyond the gates, and Naruko half wondered if she was being taken to the shrine where she would most likely meet her death. Perhaps the Nogitsune had some sort of errand for her his fox servants couldn't accomplish? Or perhaps he was feeling particularly vicious?

She continued to wonder until the small red fox passed by the turn off for the shrine, and instead headed down towards the river. It disappeared round the corner before she could see where else it had gone however.

Swearing colourfully, she picked up some of the skirts that were jamming her movements, and hurried as fast as he could on her wooden sandals. Rounding the corner of the path she ran along the side of the raised grassy bank, presuming it had headed straight past.

Of course, running in her thick wooden shoes and layers of kimono had been a very bad idea. A stone in the path caught her sandal at the wrong angle, and Naruko couldn't help the scream when she fell, and tumbled down the bank towards the river.

The crash and roll was horrible, and the seconds before she hit the water were awful. That mangy fox had tricked her! That spiteful little vulpine had no doubt made the rock stick up so she'd trip! Her ankle felt like it was sprained, or possibly broken or twisted. She wasn't really certain, it was sore though.

Bracing herself for the water, Naruko took a few moment to realise that she was no longer being thrown down the hill. That certainly didn't make sense - the banking wasn't so wide she could have rolled all the way without ending up in the water.

At the same moment, she also felt herself being held, carefully. So very carefully, as if she might break, but also very firmly. She felt herself being lifted, an arm under her knees, and another around her back, pulling her close to a chest, as if she were the most precious thing on the earth.

Opening her eyes, Naruko glanced up at her rescuer, and felt her breath leave her chest.

She had ended up slumped atop the stranger who had stilled her fall, and he had embraced her when he sat up. The man had an angry expression, as if the wind had blown whilst he had been in a bad mood and set it permanently on his face.

His dark eyes were narrowed, and the chiseled features of his face took their tone from it, seeming almost sharp. And yet in spite of his angry, imposing face, the words that emerged from his lips were kind, gentle, and as soft as the Sakura petals just starting to fall from the branches of the nearby trees.

"Are you alright?"

* * *

**_Chapter three, and the big moment! Well, one of them. Naruko and Sasuke finally meet, Sasuke finally stops being a lazy, sulking fox-boy, blah blah blah. Have to say this was one of my favourite chapters to write, especially crazy Sasuke._**

**_Quite a few deaths in this chapter. I warned you about them in the story blurb, so no complaining. I hate it when people complain about something that is already in the bleeding story blurb. Do people not read them or something? Gargh, it gets on my nerves!_**

**_Tayuya's Flowers; Higanbana (Red Spider Lily) - Never to Meet Again/Lost Memory/ Abandonment, Sayuri (Orange Lily) - Hatred/Revenge_**

**_Hinata's flowers; Shirayuri (White Lily) - Purity/Chastity, Anemone - Sincere , Amyrilys - Shy._**

**_Couldn't be bothered doing any for Tenten, I wanted to get some real action in after a graphic death, so I skipped her (she gets skipped a lot, but until she becomes interesting and not a thirdary-character, she will bore me and I will skip her)._**

* * *

**Chapter Title;** '_Sagiso_' is a White Egret Flower (Habenaria radiata), and means '_My thoughts will follow you into your dreams_'.

**Song Quote;** '_Sakurabito_' by Sunset Swish.


	4. Anemone: Sincere

**The Kitsune's Curse  
****サスケ & ナルコ**

* * *

A thousand years ago, love was found, a wedding planned, and a murder was committed; since that day, Konohagakure was cursed in recompense till that murdered soul was born again. SasuFemNaru. Kitsune/Japanese Folklore Influence. Twisted Happy Ending and Angst.

* * *

**Chapter Four  
****~ Anemone ~  
****アネモネ**

* * *

_Tomorrow, at this time, where will you be?  
__Who will you be thinking about?  
__You are always going to be my love;  
__even if I fall in love with someone once again,  
__I'll remember to love - you taught me how._

* * *

"Are you alright?" Sasuke asked.

Naruto - no she wasn't Naruto yet - stared at him in clear surprise, a flush colouring her cheeks, either from the incident or from embarrassment.

"I... I think so... My ankle's a little sore..." she replied, sounding a little disorientated.

Sasuke felt guilt coming over him; he hadn't meant to trip her. It had been hard enough getting her outside. He could heal her ankle easily enough though. Taking a better hold of her, he headed towards one of the Sakura trees that lined the banks, setting her down against the trunk.

It was close to the river itself, enough that he'd even formed a guise of being a fisherman, line suspended in the water, tied to one of the overhanging branches of the tree. His clothing consisted of cotton jinbei trousers and shirt, and a rice hat on the back of his head to keep the sun off his skin.

He looked like an everyday villager, which was exactly his aim; he didn't want to scare her off, and besides, if he'd worn his usual kimono and hakama, she would have _known_ something was off. Only the clan folk wore that kind of clothing, and she would know all the men in that circle, being from it.

Truthfully, there was some more personal benefit behind his guise; he hadn't noticed it in his natural fox form, but having taken on this appearance, he was _famished_. He felt like he hadn't eaten for decades (which was actually an understatement - it was probably over a hundred years since he'd actually hunted himself something proper).

He wasn't going looking for rabbits though, and even in this form his fur would get soaked if he went into the river completely, the thought of which completely _repulsed_ him. He could swim if needed, but he _loathed_ getting his fur wet.

"Are you catching anything?" the blonde girl asked, looking curiously at the line.

"Nothing yet, but I will soon - do you mind? I spend most of my time outside, so I know a little about injuries" he asked, sitting down beside her and gesturing to her feet.

She hesitated for a moment, glanced at the pathway, then nodded, no doubt worried about how she was going to get back to the clan compound where she lived without getting in trouble from the village elders and kamunushi.

Slowly lifting her foot onto his knees, he removed her wooden sandals, tabi, and ran his fingers carefully over her now swollen ankle. Her skin was smooth, he noted, but he was more concerned about her foot; it seemed like one of the muscles in her ankle had been torn.

A bit of Kitsune magic told him that for certain. Standing up and pulling some of the branches from the tree, he peeled of the bark, before picking some of the blossoms, and using the bark to fasten them around her ankle, after crushing them a little.

"It isn't anything serious, but that should numb the pain. If you rest for a while you should be able get back to the compound just fine" he assured her; the plant material had been infused with magic that would ensure as such.

"How did you know I was from the compound?" she asked; Sasuke raised an eyebrow at her and she blushed for asking the obvious question.

"What's your name?" he asked, smiling as he settled down beside her, taking out a knife from a pouch on a rope around his waist along with a good bunch of takenoko, some pickled plums, and a couple of sudachi from a food pouch.

"I'm from the Namikaze clan" she replied a little warily.

He couldn't help dropping a little; he hadn't expected to get her personal name first time, but he was a little disappointed. Manners bored him endlessly. Naruto had insisted on them when they were courting though, so it wasn't a surprise her reincarnation was just the same.

"The fish should be biting any moment, and I have enough food with me for two; if you'd join me I'd be glad for the company. Fish don't talk too much..." he asked.

After a moment and a glance at her foot, she nodded, and he started making a fire to grill the fish on, asking her a few general questions as he did. After a while she relaxed, and began to ask them back in turn.

"I'm sorry about your family - I heard they were taken by illness some time ago" he said, when the subject came up a few minuets later.

"Honestly, I think they're better off where they are than here, and... Well, I wasn't close to them enough for their passing to bother me" she replied after a few moments.

Before he could comment on that, the line started to twitch, and he was distracted with pulling in three fat, but snack-sized fish he had encouraged with a bit of extra bait (bait meaning magic). The blonde girl helped by peeling and washing the takenoko as he gutted them and started them on the fire; a short while later and they were eating.

She still had a keen appetite for the takenoko, and he found himself watching her trying to devour them with proper manners rather amusing. It were as if he was trying to court her again; the only thing missing was the bunch of flowers that he had last left on her Hokura beside her, or a few of the well-liked ones in her hair.

She always brought them along, or at least one of them, rather proudly he might add. Maybe it wouldn't be a bad thing to have one of his helpers discreetly bring some for him to give her? There was one amongst the upper branches of the tree...

As if hearing his thoughts, he felt the one-tail hop down the back of the tree out of sight, hurrying off to the forest.

"What are you doing out here, may I ask? I was under the impression that you... That you weren't generally allowed out of the clan complex except for..."

"Except for our deaths?" she asked, raising an amused eyebrow.

"I was trying to be delicate" he confessed.

"There's no need - we grow up knowing our time only reaches sixteen summers. As for why I was out... Well, I snuck out - I'll be in such trouble when I get back. but I saw something and... Well, here I am" she replied, evasively.

Sasuke said nothing; the mention of seeing strange things would inevitably mean something spiritual to the villagers.

"Please don't tell the elders or the kamunushi! They already think I'm _strange_, that I'm going to anger the spirit somehow!" she begged, taking hold of his hand beneath the cover of one of her long sleeves.

"Strange?" he asked, taken aback by the sudden worry.

She flinched again, before replying a little awkwardly.

"I really shouldn't be telling you this but... Well, you seem nice, and I trust you so... They think I'm _cursed_; I have some... Strange marks, here..." she replied, pointing to her face.  
He didn't see anything, but she already knew that; wetting her finger, she slowly took away some of the covering powder and creams that covered her face, revealing three thin lines exactly like...

"...whiskers" he murmured, leaning forward and brushing over them with his thumb curiously, felling joy spreading through him. It really was her...!

She jerked away, her cheeks flaming red as she dogged out more powder and proceeded to cover them back up again.

"I don't think that's a curse - the spirit is a Kitsune is it not? He has whiskers most likely. Those are a sign of fortune. You have the same marks as he does... I don't think the spirit would spread those around to curse people with. We're already being punished, why bother with more?" he shrugged.

She smiled at him.

"It's nice of you to say that, but I can't afford that sort of thinking" she replied, taking his knife and cutting her citrus fruit in half before taking a dainty bite.

"When _is_ your birthday? You must be close, you look about the same age as me" he asked, glad his human form had always been fairly young, perhaps that of an eighteen year old. He'd never bothered to check exactly.

"It's this autumn, towards the end of harvest season" she replied, and Sasuke struggled to curb the joy that threatened to split over his face.

The end of the harvest season, only a few more months! A few more months, and she would no longer be out of his reach! The curse was set to her soul being reborn, which would occur on her sixteenth birthday! He only had to wait a little longer...

But he had met her now, and the more he knew of this body she was sleeping inside, the more he would be able to ease the process for her when she came to the shrine. He realised he was making excuses, but he so wanted to see her again...

"If you get bored stuck in the clan compound you can come talk if you like. I usually fish around here - it's a good spot, and your company is a vast improvement over the fish" he suggested.

She considered it for a moment, before smiling back at him.

"It sounds like it'd get me into a great deal of trouble, but I'd like that very much!"

Sasuke smiled back at her, righting his fingers around her own; they hadn't left since she first grabbed his hand, and felt warm against his skin. Glancing at her foot again, he took of the bark and blossom dressing, and grinned a her.

"Good as new" he informed her.

"Already?"

"Unfortunately..." he mumbled, not intending to be heard.

She giggled and he ignored her with a slight tinge on his cheeks as he helped her to her feet. Before doing so, he tucked the bunch of flowers the returning one-tail handed behind his back into the waist belt of his shirt.

Helping her up to the top of the hill, Sasuke stopped her before she could leave with a careful hold on her arm. As she turned around, he held out the flowers, making a mental note to thank the one-tail with some of the abura-age he had stored up later.

Gasping in surprise at the suzuran, branch of sakura, and the few dots of Wasurenagusa, she took them, before staring at him curiously.

"Where did you find these?" she asked, a tone in her voice that made his eyes widen slightly.

"Do you know what they mean?" he asked, trying to keep excitement from his voice.

She faltered, and nodded.

"Please don't tell anyone - you have no idea how much trouble I'd get into if people knew... Only the Yamankas are allowed... Wait, you do too? You picked them deliberately? But you were with me the whole time!"

"Somewhat - I worked in the Yamanaka compound for a while when I was a child, learned a little bit... But I picked those for my house earlier. I do think they suit you though, so I don't mind giving them to you" he replied.

She smiled again, and held them to her nose, taking in the light scent whist Sasuke contained his joy; if she remembered this much already, they might even be reunited for proper on her birthday...

"I was hoping you'd let me try something..." he confessed; her cheeks darkened a little, presumably catching his tone.

"What would that be?" she asked, not outright making any protests.

"I was hoping... You'd let me kiss you" he replied, feeling his own cheeks heat up; she wasn't exactly the same, but the fact she had spent so much time with him and agreed to meet again was a trait he had seen Naruto show many a time... Trust.

Trusting. Just like Naruto. _Too_ trusting. If there was one thing Sasuke hoped Naruto's new body would have, it would be a greater sense for caution. She had trusted the villagers who hated her... and the cost had been too great.

They were standing very close, and her hand - smaller than his own, but still that of a grown woman - had found its way back into his, her fingers gently ensconcing his. A yes. Bending his head, he softly pressed his lips against her cheek, holding back his smirk at her surprise.

Stepping back, he headed back down the hill towards his line, leaving her stunned on the path for a moment before she hurriedly headed back to the village, flowers in her hand and a smile on her cheeks.

He had been so very tempted to kiss her proper, but that wouldn't have done at all. He wouldn't have held himself back if he did that, and that would have ended badly. Her disappointed reaction had been _adorable_ though.

No matter what her name was, she was already Naruto, not that I was her name he had fallen in love with; as the soul started to fill her physical body, it had laid the base for her personality, and she wouldn't loose it when the truth came out.

Of that he was very glad. He liked the new nuances in it as much as the ones he'd fallen for in first instance.

Once she was gone, Sasuke flickered out of his human form, letting his clothes fall to the ground, and climbed up into the branches of Sakura tree with the last fish in his jaws, contented to wait patiently until their next meeting.

Knowing she was here, living, breathing once again, made the wait worth it. He also felt more inclined to eat; the master had been right, and he was so _very_ hungry...

* * *

Glancing around for one of the guards who patrolled the compound, and deeming it clear, Naruko slowly and carefully crept out of the clan compound, away from the cluster of mansions that the council families lived in and into the town.

She had pleaded with Darui for some casual clothing, and he'd supplied her with a drab kimono in a russet brown shade and a black obi along with some straw sandals rather than her usual wooden ones. She blended into the village much better now.

It had been several weeks since she had met Ryōshi-san, and for the first time she actually felt like a _living_ human being. Having a new face to talk to, a male one at that, was so ridiculously refreshing (and trouble-worthy) that it was addictive.

Sakura thought it was a bad idea, that she was getting too attached to the strange fisherman, but Ino sounded her down; it wasn't as if she were doing anything wrong - what was wrong with having a little fun before she died?

Naruko agreed with those exact sentiments, and had the two of them had fallen into giggles about the whole encounter, eventually drawing Sakura's equal curiosity when their first parting came into conversation.

Or at least the kissing part. She was a curious mix of outrage and unwholesome eagerness for details about the kiss he'd left on her cheek.

"That's _completely_ inappropriate!" she huffed, the blush on her face betraying her real opinion; Sakura was fairly easy to read if you got to know her.

"Not completely, it was only on the cheek! _So_? What was it _like?_" Ino persisted.

"_Frustrating!_ He knew I though he was going to kiss me proper, so he did it on the cheek deliberately! I was so surprised that I barely felt it!" Naruko pouted.

Ino fell into howls of laughter, and even Sakura fell into fits of giggles. Then they both demanded that she paid attention next time so she could tell them all about it.

And so, time had found her sneaking down the road to the river once again. She had already been back several times, and she grew more and more at ease with the man every time she saw him.

Something in the way he had caught her, that firm, careful hold, had made her trust him, and it was growing rapidly each time she set eyes on him. He was so easy to talk to, and more importantly, he actually seemed to like her, which was more than could be said of most people in Konohagakure.

He was very self-assured (bluntly put, cocky, bordering on arrogant) but that was very much a self-imposed trait. He usually softened up after fifteen minuets of talking, and after that he was downright _sweet_, and kind.

If the routine varied, and they went for a walk, he _always_ held his arm out, so she didn't trip up again, and sometimes after a seemingly long day of fishing, flopped his head onto her knees and fell asleep. He often had naps, but he didn't always use her as a pillow, which was unfortunate because she quite enjoyed it.

She'd started teaching him how to read too. He often asked what use a fisherman would have with books or scrolls (_'It's not like I can afford them'_) but humoured her all the same. She suspected it was because it gave them a good chance to sit close together.

He always gave her flowers now, and Ino always had a great deal of fun telling she and Sakura what secrets were hidden in the petals when she returned to the compound. He was funny too, trying to appear tough and yet constantlysandingdiscreet glances towards her, as if he'd rather ask her a thousand different questions instead.

After some much more careful running this time, she soon reached the spot she had met Ryōshi-san the last time, and cast her eyes around in search of him.

Finally her eyes found the familiar figure, blue clothes today, his short trousers rolled up above the water as he tried catching the fish with the spear in his hand. He had a look of frustrated concentration on his face, one that came from hours of unsuccessful attempts.

He always seemed to know when she was coming, even not looking, because he promptly called out for her to wait a few minuets while he cornered an eel. Seconds later, he threw the spear into the water, jabbing it several times before stomping out of the river.

"It got away?" she asked.

"I'm not good with spears" he grunted, throwing the implement aside and wring some water from his shirt and trousers.

Then he smiled at her, took her hand and kissed it, leading her along the bank to a secluded spot they'd both grown fond of, right on the river bank, behind some flowering bushes under one of the trees.

"I didn't know if you would make it today, given tomorrows date" he commented.

"I didn't either, but I managed to sneak out" Naruko smiled wearily.

The date he referred to was Sakura's birthday. It was tomorrow, and Naruko was supposed to be in seclusion, kept away from her friend in hopes of making sure no bad spirits amongst the other girls soon turning sixteen interfered with the possible lifting of the curse.

The Kamunushi were _very_ thorough.

"Won't you get into trouble?" he asked, sounding a little concerned.

"More than likely, but won't you? Don't the villagers usually prepare a feast? Shouldn't you be gathering fish for it?" she grinned back teasingly.

"I don't bother with it - I don't see the point. I'm not that good a fisherman either. I wouldn't contribute much to it. I... I'm worried about you more than the feast" he shrugged, making a very bold statement.

Then he turned away from her and started watching a duck leaving her nest for some exercise and food, a clutch of eggs left snug amongst the feathers and twigs behind her.

"Have you eaten yet?" he asked, quickly diverting the topic.

"Not yet - don't take all of them though" Naruko replied, already seeing the cogs whirling in his mind.

It only took him a moment to retrieve three of the eggs, before setting them to cook with rice and onion and some other wild vegetables over a fire. As they ate, Naruko couldn't help feeling a little anxious.

Ryōshi-san was a person she liked very much, more than she should. Naruko's only experiences with romantic love were observations of her parents, those of her friends, and their brothers. She'd never had the need for it, but she was sure that was what she felt for the fisherman, a complete stranger, peasant, and...

And she wished so much that she could _leave_ this village, run away. But she couldn't. _No-one_ could. Every few years someone tried, but no matter which way they tried to run, they always needed up back in the village. No person could escape their fate here, and she was no different.

In a few months she was going to die. What would be the point? Then again, what would she have to _loose?_ She didn't really care what happened to the village. It wasn't as if it would be any concern of hers, and they deserved it. Well, except maybe her friends. And Ryōshi-san...

"You don't really need to. Worry about me that is; I've been expecting it for years. In a way I'm looking forward to it. I won't be stuck here anymore. The Kitsune may have cursed us, but it's my way out" Naruko shrugged.

"You don't think you'll... I mean, you could..."

He faltered, and Naruko sighed.

"...could be the female spirit reborn? You actually _believe_ that? What's to say he hasn't already found her, and is just torturing the village by pretending otherwise? He could have used an illusion to make it seem like one of us died, but she's secretly still there with him... He might be lying about the entire matter - he _is_ a Kitsune, and it is in the nature of even the good ones to prank humans is it not?"

"You really think he'd do that?" he asked, sounding amused for some reason.

"Maybe, maybe not, but it's what I'd do if it were me. For a while at any rate..."

He looked at her curiously, then smiled as if a great worry had been lifted from his shoulders.

"It seems we're of the same opinion" he murmured, slowly leaning forward.

"That's a good thing" she smiled, feeling her cheeks heat up as he leant his forehead to hers.

He was quiet then, his dark eyes observing her face deeply as his fingers brushed her fringe from her eyes, his skin a light brush against her blushing cheeks.

"Naruko..." he murmured.

"Yes?" she breathed, murmured, whispered in case she might be heard.

"...can I kiss you?" he asked gently.

Her breath hitched in her throat, and she nodded.

His lips were soft on hers, warm and as she kissed back his arm wound round her waist; for one blissful moment, Naruko was happy about something, then it ended, he pulled away from her as if he had been burned.

"I'm sorry, that was inappropriate - I should probably go help with the feast after all..." he mumbled.

All Naruko's patience died as he stood up to leave; she had been waiting, hoping he would move ahead with... Whatever relationship they currently had, and now he was taking it back. She refused to abide by and let him.

As he stood she quickly followed and grabbed onto his wrist; as she did, she tripped once again, and made it int the river this time, taking Ryōshi-san with her. They hit the water with a loud, large splash, and it clarified something for Naruko.

She was in love with this random fisherman, whom she didn't even know the name of, and that was a very troubling thing... A very, _very_ troubling thing, because in a matter of months, at the end of the harvest season, it would be _her_ turn.

After the summer ended, she was going to die.

* * *

_**Progression! Liked writing this chater because... Just because. It's sweet and so fluffy it gives me tooth ache (like the candy floss at the highland games in my village does every year), and is essentially one of the better, slightly cheery chapters in this story... and yet even then it ends with gloom -_-;**_

_**The flowers Sasuke gave Naruko are as follows; Suzuran (Lily of The Valley/Spider Lily) - Sweet, Sakura (Cherry Blossoms) - Kind/Gentle, and Wasurenagusa (Forget-Me-Not) - True Love.**_

_**Hope you liked the chapter :)**_

* * *

**Chapter Title;** '_Anemone'_ is the same flower in English, and means _'Sincere'_.  
**Song Quote;** _'First Love'_ by Utada Hikaru.


	5. Erica: Solitude

**The Kitsune's Curse**  
**サスケ & ナルコ**

* * *

A thousand years ago, love was found, a wedding planned, and a murder was committed; since that day, Konohagakure was cursed in recompense till that murdered soul was born again. SasuFemNaru. Kitsune/Japanese Folklore Influence. Twisted Happy Ending and Angst.

* * *

**~Chapter Five~**  
**~Erica ~**  
**エリカ**

* * *

_A single flower petal brushes against my skin;_  
_I don't want to believe our love was a mistake._  
_I should have been in love, _  
_so much that I always wanted to hear your voice._  
_Even though I reach out my hands,_  
_you seem to be fading away._

* * *

After fishing themselves out of the river, Sasuke led her to a small hut in the woods she knew to be a lodging hut for the men who chopped wood for the village, an overnight stop house of sorts.

After handing her some dry clothes, apologising that they were men's, and something to dry off with, he took some for himself and then headed outside, allowing her to change into the short trousers and shirt almost identical to the ones he usually wore but for their light blue shade.

After a moment he knocked on the door, dressed again himself, a pair of rabbits in his hand.

"They keep them outside round the back in a storage cellar" he explained as she hung her kimono over a set of rails near the fire to dry off.

Starting to skin the rabbits, distracting himself from her no doubt, Naruko began to feel the awkward tension hanging between them.

He'd kissed her! He'd finally, _finally_ kissed her, he'd... He'd _kissed_ her! He should_ never_ have kissed her She should not have _let_ him kiss her. She was going to _die!_ She was going to have her neck snapped by a mad, vengeful nogitsune spirit in a few months time.

One of her best friends would die tomorrow, or within a week of tomorrow... Letting him kiss her was nothing short of completely inappropriate! Why had he done that? Why had she let him? She had been prepared!

She would have died with her head held high, unafraid, even welcomingly. Now she'd be running and screaming for the door, breaking through the walls to get away, and likely be mauled to death like Tayuya had been instead of something quick and clean...

All because he'd kissed her. Because a stranger had kissed her... What could she do now? How did she cope with this? How had a little bit of fun, a little bit of adventure before she died turn into something so serious, so impossibly important?

"Aren't you hungry?"

Naruko blinked, then started at the plate of grilled meat and vegetables in front of her; how long had she been staring off into thought? He'd been skinning the rabbits last time she really looked... Taking the plate, she started nibbling at the meat, not anywhere near hungry with all the chaos in her mind.

She was in love with him, she had to be to feel as awful as she did for something that had made her so happy...

How could she _do_ this to herself? Was she mad? How could she let herself fall in love with a stranger? How could she let herself fall in love at _all?_ She couldn't do that! It would just hurt the both of them!

She was going to die! How much would it take for her to realise that she had no future past the next few months? How long was she supposed to pretend that being raised for the slaughter was any sort of life?

That was all she was, an animal that had been brought up to be killed anyway in the interests of other people, selfish people... shouldn't she be allowed something,_ anything_, to make her life have actual meaning to it?

She wasn't important to anyone; none of the girls from the clans were. The clans were nothing more than an endless circle for breeding, trying to create the cure for the disease that was cast over the village. That's all she was... but Ryōshi-san had made her important to him.

How could she pass that away so easily?

She finished most of her food, but it was cold before she set her plate down. Checking her kimono, it still wasn't dry, so she ventured around the room a little, going to the window and staring out at the forest.

She caught sight of the steps at the bottom of the slope that led up to the shrine, and quickly turned away from it, examining the room itself. It was a large building for several men to be stopping overnight. There was a small shrine in one corner, along with the fire pit and smoke hole in another.

Going through a set of sliding paper doors she found a room where the sleeping arrangements. At the far back was a small cupboard where Ryoshi-san had procured the clothes from earlier, and perhaps five or six futon sets.

Finding another window, on the opposite side to the previous one, she glanced out at the trees, seeing very little of interest. She noted that it was getting dark, and she would no doubt be being missed back at the compound, but she could hardly turn up in men's clothing.

She could explain what had happened of course, but then she would have to explain her visits and meetings with Ryōshi-san and she did not wish to do that. The Kamunushi would forbid it. She'd never get out of the compound if she told them, and then she would truly never see Ryōshi-san again.

She'd never see him again... She'd never...

Heavy tears prickled at the corner of her eyes, dropping over her cheeks and onto the floor as it truly hit her; she was going to _die._ She'd never see him again, she'd never see Sakura or Ino again. She was _dying_. She wasn't sick, but every second brought her closer to death.

"Naruko? What are you doing through here? It's freez..."

Naruko froze hearing the familiar footsteps creaking quickly across the floorboards. His hands gripped her shoulders before one hand ran over her cheek, wiping her tears and smudging the powder that covered her strange whisker marks.

She wondered if the panic on his face was because of the tears.

"Naruko? What's wrong? Why are you...?"

"I'm going to die... I love you, but I'm going to _die!_" she sobbed, no longer maintains the self control she had been covering her emotions with.

There was nothing he could say to that, and all he could do was put his arms around her and whisper lies in her ear, promising her that she would be alright.

* * *

Heading to her bedroom, Yamanaka Ino was in a particularly miserable mood as she walked through the halls. One of her best friends since childhood was likely going to die tonight, and the other...

Ino did not know what had happened last time Naruko had sneaked away to see that fisherman by the riverbank, but since coming back she had shut herself up in her rooms and refused to see anyone. Meals were left by her door, and she ate them in her room, replacing the empty trays outside her door.

Ino hoped she pulled herself through whatever problem she was going through before the end of the week, because as the last of the Namikaze family she would have to be with the elders and kamunushi when they went to claim Sakura's body.

If they or the clan elders found out about Ryōshi-san there would be... unpleasant consequences. They wouldn't kill her or hurt her of course, but they could do a lot worse in the name of serving the desires of the nogitsune spirit...

The council was _obsessive._ They had been meeting for weeks lately in her father's rooms house with the kamunushi to discus what could be done when it was Naruko's turn to be judged, which was only a few months away.

As she approached her bedroom door, one of the servants came up with a note. Entering her rooms, Ino quickly unfolded the parchment and scanned her eyes over the crude characters of the message. She knew who it was from even before she read the words.

Taking a stick of incense from one of the holders in a small alcove, she held the burning end of it to one corner of the parchment till it caught fire. Letting the note burn in the incense dish, Ino quickly found a cloak, pulled it on.

She informed one of the servants she was leaving, telling them she was going to visit Naruko, and to let her father know she might miss dinner.

Pulling the hood up to keep off the sunny rain shower, Ino hurried through the streets of Konohagakure as fast as her feet would carry her, taking very great care to keep her cloak wrapped tightly around her.

The last thing she needed was to be spotted by one of the kamunushi or a villager during the sun shower.

Finally reaching the other side of the village, she headed past the Shinomori, where the shrine was located, before finally reaching the riverbank; she was soaked to the skin as she walked by the cold blossoms of the Sakura trees that lined the river.

Glancing around, she finally found the man she was looking for in one of the trees; he was slumped against the trunk, seated on one of the branches, and Ino would lie if she said she wasn't somewhat intimidated by the angry look he wore even sleeping.

"Ryōshi-san?" she asked, tilting her head up to get a better look at the man her friend held so dearly.

He was certainly a fine looking man; if it hadn't been for the clothing she would have thought him to be of the clan men such as his good breeding, but... As his eyes opened and he jumped down from the branch, there was something in the gait he approached her with that made her _very_ anxious.

Naruko spoke of how kind he always was to her, how easy he was to tease and fluster, but Ino found those tales hard to believe staring at the man. He looked down his nose at her, as if she were some horrid pest, like a rat or mouse.

His dark hair and eyes certainly did no help; even as he looked down his nose at her, she could tell he hated her on sight. Ino knew she could be a bit superfluous sometimes, and she wasn't exactly the most obedient of her father's children, but no-one had immediately _hated_ her before...

Yet this man did so _instantly_. He looked as if he wished for nothing more than to tear her to shreds and leave her for the vermin to feast off.

"You are Naruko's friend? The Yamanaka? The girl born in a jumping year?" he asked bluntly and fairly rudely; his voice dripped with disdain as he cast his eyes over her.

"Yes... You wanted to speak with me on something?" Ino asked, her desire to give the man a snappy retort cowed by his sheer presence.

Something about the man _scared_ her, scared her terribly.

"Has Naruko... I heard she locked herself away... Do you know..." he fumbled over the words, clearly unhappy with having to ask her for help.

Ino's opinion of him softened however when she heard the badly disguised worry for her friend in his voice. He was_ clearly_ enamoured with her, and Ino didn't have any problems with that.

Naruko deserved someone who understood her properly. Her sister hadn't been close to her having died when Naruko was young, and her parents had always been a little funny with her.

She and Sakura had befreinded her, but Ino would be the first to admit that they didn't understand their friend sometimes. Usually important times, times when her honest opinion was probably better off not being known. Like meetings with the council...

"She's sad; she doesn't want to die; she didn't really care much before but... I don't know what happened the last time you met with her but... She's sad, confused, and she doesn't want to die..."

"I never meant for that..." he mumbled half to himself.

The frown lines on his face deepened with his words, and formed not from anger, but anguish and guilt. As they formed, Ino began to see why Naruko liked him so much.

Ryōshi-san was an abrasive man, but he was very,_ very_ devoted. Ino could tell - she had always been good at understanding people with very little personal knowledge of them. She just haad a knack for getting goodly accurate imressions of people.

He still looked intimidating though, so her tone was still carefull as she continued to speak.

"...I think she misses you; she won't speak to anyone, but I think she misses you... If you'd tell me what happened I might be able to help more."

"She thinks she's going to die" he replied, as if it was surprising.

Ino stared at the man, deciding to hold her opinion of him if he was so stupid as to think something so obvious. How could he think otherwise? What on earth made him think Naruko would be any different to the girls before her? Naruko had told her the man was smart!

"Of course she _would!_ Of course she i_s!_ What else is there _for_ her to think? She's not a random villager, she's a _Namikaze!_ She from one of the oldest of the clans in-"

"I know perfectly well _who_ she is clan girl, far better than you _vermin_ ever will!" he roared loudly, an animal snarly echoing through his furious tone that stopped Ino's heart for a moment.

Then his words sunk in, and a suspicion began to play in her thoughts. She thought of his anger, how devoted he had seemed moments ago, that animal-like quality, his black facial features... How timely his meeting with Naruko had been.

As she stared at him, she sighted a flicker on the tree trunk behind him, and glancing at it, Ino did not see the shape of a human man in his shadow, but something else entirely, and her eyes began to widen in fear as she realised just _who_ she had been shouting at.

It was... _Him._

Several parts of her mind rushed to work, piecing together the snippets of information she had just seen, what she had heard from Naruko, and what she heard in the past few years into one, now undeniable fact that had been staring at her in plain sight for years.

"Naruko...? She's...? _It's her...!_ She's...!"

"Precisely" the spirit snarled.

Ino felt extremely confused, and goodly scared of the spirit before her too. Naruko...? Namikaze Naruko, the girl he'd only met because of a coincidental shrine visit with Sakura (her parents had been so paranoid after all), the somewhat shy, if mischievous, blonde girl...?

The girl who had never been in the favour of the priests, feared them almost, who - deep down - held no sympathy for the plight of the village, bar those she liked and trusted, the blonde who trusted few, especially not the priests or Hyūga clan head...

Ino stared at the spirit before her, feeling so incredibly _stupid_ for not seeing it sooner, for not _realising_ when her friend first mentioned Ryōshi-san that something beyond her previous imagining was happening.

Naruko hadn't cared at all about the men in the clans before. She hadn't even bothered talking with them more than necessary. She and Sakura had both engaged in lengthy conversations and playful flirting, even if the conversations never led to anything, but Naruko...

"You will say _nothing_ to her Yamanaka Ino - not one _word._ The fate of your village rests on your silence..." he hissed, a cold voice, his distaste for the very sight of her all but clear.

"...If you mention _anything_ you ought not to before she can accept it, before she fully recovers, the I will know where the blame for it lies, and I think you people know by now that I neither forgive nor forget... Do you understand me?"

Her tongue couldn't move - somehow, Ino managed to move her head into a nod, even as other thoughts began to cloud her.

If he didn't want Naruko to... know anything before she was supposed to, then what was he hoping to accomplish by pretending to be Ryōshi-san? He had to know that Naruko had... grown attached to the false persona...

"Give her this - you tell her it was left for her to one of the servants, that they know to keep their silence, so not to speak with them of it. Make sure she reads it" the dark man instructed, holding outta piece of folded parchment (Ino found herself capable of speech if she simply thought of him as a particularly intimidating man).

Ino took the parchment, but her lip, pondering the madness to which her thought were taking her, then decided it didn't matter. If he was so desperate for someone to send this message in his stead then he obviously couldn't take it himself...

Naruko took a risk, and up till recently it had been nothing but good. She could too. Even if she might be insane for thinking so...But Ino was not her freind, and so she did not have any love for the fox spirit in front of her.

"I... I'll do as you ask, but might I say one thing first?" she asked tentatively; a moment of sneering contemplation, his silence was one that dared her to try and catch his interest.

And that Ino certainly did when she raised her hand and slapped him full across the cheek.

* * *

Sasuke was slightly stunned by the sting of flesh that slapped across his human face.

"I accept the fact that you've waited a _long_ time to see her again, but what you've done is _cruel!_" the blonde informed him angrily.

"You'll have to be more specific" he snarled, raising a hand to his cheek where her finely kept nails had run a light scratch over his skin in disbelief.

The blonde girl faltered at the tone, but stood her ground.

"You made her get attached to someone that doesn't _exist!_ She's probably crying because she thinks she's going to die without seeing him again! Do you think she will be contented when she realises _he_ is_ you?_" she snapped, emboldened by something.

Sasuke glared at the girl; insolent though she was, she seemed to be an improvement on her ancestors, but not so much to realise there were lines she were better off not approaching. Sensing the growing anger, she faltered.

"That's... That's simply my mind however... I'm sure you have your reasons, and that I wouldn't understand them anyway... I'll... I..."

After stumbling over her words, she slowly took her steps backwards, before warily turning and heading for the hill up to the path. Sasuke snapped in front of her, and she gave a startled yelp, nearly loosing her balance.

"Don't get high handed - the only reason I have to bother speaking to you is because I have no choice if I want to keep away from your _filthy_ little village. I hate _you_ and your _kin_, and I _savour_ each and every one of your deaths! _She_ trusts you however... Be thankful for that little boar..." he snarled, yanking her upper arm very pointedly, hissing the words in her ear.

He could smell the tears starting to well in the corners of her eyes, but she bit her lip ignoring the grip on her arm or the tone of his words. More likely both.

"...do not even dare _pretend t_o understand anything I do, because you would only come to the wrong conclusions. You have not the concept of time wide enough to understand anything!"

"Maybe so, but... Naruko never cared enough before, but she does now! She cares for _a lie_, a lie _you_ made her believe, and no matter _what_ you are, that is _despicable!_" she persisted, scrunching her eyes shut as if she were expecting a strike.

He seriously contemplated it - the little ingrate had a rather active tongue that didn't seem to know its bounds - but... Naruko liked her. Dropping his grip roughly and without care, he turned his back on her and stalked away muttering words to himself he didn't intended for he to hear.

"You are_ very_ lucky that I share those sentiments" he grumbled.

Much as he hated to admit it, the little whelp was right. He shouldn't have been so complacent with the relationship he let Naruto form on his disguise. She would no doubt scream at him in due course for doing so, and he wouldn't blame her.

Hence the need to send the message.

* * *

A light tap on the screen awoke her, but Naruko ignored it - she wanted to go back to sleep

To contrary belief, Naruko had not been crying like Ino thought she had. What was the point? She should have known this would happen. She was simply reaping the rewards ow what she had sown in continuing to spend time with Ryōshi-san.

Instead of crying, she had spent a great deal of time sleeping. She was so tired that she slept every day, and felt aches everywhere. She did not feel ill exactly, but she could not have described it differently.

Her dreams did not help much. The few odd ones she was prone to having had become routine every night, and the confusion they left her with was difficult to find an answer to. Every night the same same black box surrounded her, a muffled unidentifiable voice calling to her from beyond its walls.

"Naruko, it's me... I have... This is from... It's for you..." Ino's voice called quietly from beyond the door.

There was a smooth sound as something slid beneath the sliding door, sitting up a little on her futon and glancing at the door, she sighted a small piece of folded parchment on the floor. The scribble on it was instantly recognisable, given she had taught the sender how to write herself.

Scrambling to the door,Nashe snapped up the paper, unfolded it, and carefully absorbed every single careful stroke of the ink-brushed characters. Over and over she read the note, absorbing the words on the parchment like water on dry earth.

Then she lowered it, and opened the door. Ino sat on the floor outside, patiently and anxiously waiting. After quickly getting to her feet closing the door behind her, Naruko started crying in the arms of the only friend she had left.

* * *

_Naruko,_

_I thought several times over on the words in this letter - I don't really know how to say things on parchment. Everything I wrote sounded... Not like what I would say if I could speak with you face to face again._

_However, I think that would be... Unwise. I don't know how to tell you that everything will be fine, that you'll come back to me, because we both know that one way or another, that will be impossible._

_I want to tell you that things will be alright, but you're a realistic girl, and I'm a realistic man, so I will refrain from saying so. So instead, I'll tell you something important. Something that I should have told you a long time ago._

_I love you, and I have always done so. You won't remember it, but ever since I was a child, I've loved you. No matter what, I will always love you, no matter who you are or what you become, or what happens to you. No matter what, I will always love you._

_This is all I can tell you in hopes that it will help you; for your sake, I've decided that I will not allow myself to see you at all until your birthday. You won't see me, but I will be there for you, I promise._

_I will wait for you, for the next time we meet, __with all my heart._

* * *

**_Sorry this chapter is so late compared to usual - not had a day off work to get any writing done or sell-check. Also the Olympics and Polymer Clay have been distracting me, especially the Olympics. _**

**_I was crying when the Union Jack went up to God Save the Queen for Katherine Grainger and Anna Watkins. And for the cyclists - I love the cycling, so there was loads more bawling there too - GO TEAM GB! _**

**_*bonks head on screen* As it turns out I'mincrediby patrotic (which makes me something of a paraiah in the Scottish highlands - here most people only get patriotic when it's a Scott I'm still the praiah for not getting it at all and being all 'Engish').  
_**

**_There - Olympic Craziness over. Onto the Fanfic notes and bah..._**

**_Sasue needed a telling off for being a bit too eager, and Ino seemed like the type to do it. Plus, she's the only one of Naruko's friends Sasuke hasn't killed off in his madness and rage ^^;_**

**_I also felt it was a good opportunity for Sasuke to reaffirm his hatred of anyone and everything not Naruko - he's been a bit too sappy. So sappy that I forgot he despised everything else in existence for a while, and I'm writing the damn story -_-;_**

**_A few things have started here that will be important later on, subtle, but you'll see what they are in upcoming chapters._**

**_Hope you liked the chapter :)_**

* * *

**Chapter Title;** '_Erica_' is Heather, and means '_Solitude_'.  
**Song Quote;** '_Hitohira no Hanabira_' by Stereo Pony.


	6. Sakura: Gentle

**The Kitsune's Curse  
****サスケ ****& ナルコ**

* * *

A thousand years ago, love was found, a wedding planned, and a murder was committed; since that day, Konohagakure was cursed in recompense till that murdered soul was born again. SasuFemNaru. Kitsune/Japanese Folklore Influence. Twisted Happy Ending and Angst.

* * *

**Chapter Six  
****~ Sakura ~  
****桜**

* * *

_Someone told me long ago  
__there's a calm before the storm,  
__I know, it's been coming for some time.  
__When it's over, so they say, it'll rain a sunny day,  
__I know, shining down like water.  
__I want to know, have you ever seen the rain  
__coming down on a sunny day?_

* * *

Seven anxious days and seven anxious nights passed, and on the new morning Sakura's father and the rest of her family headed for the shrine. Naruko and Ino joined them, dreading the sight that would be waiting. When they arrived, Ino and Lady Haruno burst into tears.

Sakura had been spared the horrendous death of her sister, but her stiff body and the blank staring eyes were a message blunt enough on the wooden boards at the front of the Haiden for even the most unfortunate of simpletons.

Sakura was dead. Like every dead body that was left on the steps of the shrine, she was covered in those haunting flowery messages. Higabana covered all of them of course, but amongst the blossoms that had been left around Sakura corpse were her own namesake, Tsutsuji, white and yellow Tsubaki, and Shion flowers.

Ino translated them after gaining some control of her tears, her official purpose of joining the family, and several anxious glances were sent to the two of them from the other clan representatives. Naruko could see the glimmers in their eyes as Ino repeated the meanings of the flowers back to them.

Patience, waiting, longing were the ones that garnered reaction; the spirit knew that one of them, either she or Ino were... whatever he was waiting for. Discussions immediately arose about sending Ino anyway, even though her true birthday wouldn't arrive for many years.

Naruko was a bit confused as to if it was a soul he needed to fix that of the female fox, or if her soul had been reborn into one of them, and simply needed reminding. No-one knew the exact details anymore.

Ino clutched her hand behind the sleeves of their kimono as the priest came forward to make a prayer, and Naruko clutched back. Staring around at the shrine, she tried to look at anything but the body of her murdered friend.

The shrine had grown aged in the thousand years and more since its erection, but it had never changed. Not once. The carvings and chigi on the roof of the honden were all the same. The torii at the gates, the steps and fox statues... Not even moss grew here, at the centre of the freeze that had left her village trapped in time.

As the priest chanted, cleansing the shrine and preparing Sakura's body for the journey back to the village for burial preparations, Naruko saw something new. Seated atop one of the chigi, on the roof of the honden, was a black fox with five tails raised behind him.

The glowing red eyes sent a chill down her spine, when they snapped on her, the spirit realising it had been seen. Bright red anger, evil, and blood; that wasn't any old spirit...! It was the Nogitsune, the one who had cursed the village, who had killed Tayuya, Tenten, and Sakura...

"Ino...! Ino...!" she whispered, her voice hoarse as she fumbled for Ino's hand fearfully.

"What? What's wrong?" Ino asked in a small murmur.

"That fox! That fox on the roof! It's _him!_" Naruko muttered, her eyes and a nod of her head pointing to the spirit on the roof; he was laid down flat on his belly watching them intently, his tails swishing slowly behind him.

"What? Who?" Ino asked back

"Him! The sprit! The fox! It's _Sasuke!_ Can't you see him? He's jet black! You can't miss him!" Naruko hissed back, her eyes not leaving the terrifying creature in front of her.

Ino glanced at her than followed her gaze with her own eyes to the roof searching. Naruko didn't notice her confused gaze however.

She had named that creature. The name had just popped to her lips. She hadn't even noticed she'd said it until now... Where had it come from? No one knew the names of the spirits anymore but... Why did she name him like that?

"Naruko, I can't see... Are you feeling alright? Sakura... You might be... Naruko, I can't see anything... Are you sure it's there? Maybe you're just feeling a little ill?" Ino replied, giving her a worried glance and a comforting squeeze of the hand again.

Naruko smiled at her, and then scratched her head restlessly; as she glanced down at the ground near their feet. There was a small, seemingly limp bunch of forget-me-nots.

"You're right... I do feel... a bit... off" Naruko replied, her eyes turning the contents of her stomach over as she glanced from he flowers to the spirit on the roof.

He stared at her, tilted his head curiously, and then seemed to melt into thin air. Naruko felt her stomach turn again, dizziness accompanying it, and then she collapsed.

* * *

Sasuke hopped up onto the roof sniffing the air tentatively; he could have sworn he caught his older brother's scent on the wind for a moment...

Glancing down towards the front of the room, he finally sighted Itachi's five black tails. Unlike himself, Itachi had been born with black fur. That said, Sasuke had taken to his new colouring rather well - it suited him far more than his old white fur had.

"That's her, isn't it?" Itachi asked, gesturing down to the group of people below, in particular the blonde girl.

"Yes" Sasuke replied without so much as a blink.

"You upset her you know; that Haruno girl was one of her friends" Itachi told him bluntly.

"I already imposed the conditions; it's not as if I could change them even if I wanted to" Sasuke shrugged, not being entirely honest.

He did feel a little guilt over the Haruno girl, from what Naruko had told him since he had last spoken with her... she had been very fond of the girl. In all honesty, she had been smarter than her ancestors. The moment she set foot inside the shrine, and he appeared to her, she'd been very calm and collected.

She knew already that it was her friend he was waiting for, and rather than cry and scream, she had asked about the mechanics for the curse itself. It hadn't been all that complicated to explain. Her life force along with those of her predecessors served as a sort of bandage on Naruko's soul while it repaired itself.

Upon being informed, Sakura had simply nodded, then asked him about the Naruko he once knew. He didn't tell her very much but some things. She wasn't _quite_ as repulsive as her ancestors so he granted her a much more merciful death than that of her whore sister.

A few distinct black-purple berries in the meal his helpers provided for her had sent her not a slumber that became permanent after a few hours.

"How long till her birthday?" Itachi asked, getting up onto his paws.

"Till the end of the harvest season - a few months

"It's about time, but she did always like to keep you waiting didn't she?" Itachi asked with rhetorical amusement.

"Was there something that you came here for, or did you just come to make intelligent comments?" Sasuke asked, a little snipe coming into his bark of irritation.

Itachi raised himself onto paws and headed towards him, before sitting down again and nudging him with his nose.

"I did not mean any offence Sasuke - she was my sister once too. We all want to see her again. I simply worry about you. You must admit, she is different now, and no woman would take such deception kindly..." Itachi warned.

"I am prepared for that, and I know she won't be exactly the same. No one ever _is_. Was Mei not different the last time you searched for her?" Sasuke replied calmly.

Itachi bit his ear affectionately, nuzzled at him, then padded down the spine of the roof, his dark, black brown fur melting away as he leapt from the roof onto one of the tree branches that had long since grown around the shrine.

Sasuke watched him leave, and then took his spot where he had been watching the ceremony below once more. He felt guilt once more as Naruko took in the sight of her dead friend, but it was necessary, and her friend had been given a peacefully passing.

Then a new expression crossed her face as she looked at the flowers scattered across the body of her dead friend, one of alarm, fear, panic, amongst a great many other mixes of emotional turmoil. Guilt gnawed at him yet again, but this was part of the curse.

There was nothing he could do to help her with this. The souls of the dead that had descended from those traitorous clansmen so many years before had kept her sprit safe, but as she began to fix her own spirit, remember traits and beliefs of her previous incarnation...

The guilt flinched through him again as she caught sight of him, hissed mad whispered to her friend in panic, but he remained motionless. All that he had left to do was be patient, as he always had been.

It would be her turn to visit the shrine soon, and Naruko would not react kindly once sighting him, especially as confused as she would be by whence the time came. He would have to use more magic to show her what her previous life had been as it was...

This was still an unpleasant part for her to go through however, that he could not change, so all he could do was watch as Naruko collapsed after his ears caught a single mention of a name he had never told her.

* * *

Naruko awoke with a screaming pain in her head and misty thoughts on her futon. Beside her Ino was seated nearby, having fallen asleep.

Pulling the yukata she had been dressed in a little tighter to keep out the chill, Naruko slowly sat up, and then got to her feet. She went to one of her keepsake boxes, and slowly pulled out a small golden locket. The locket itself was actually a sapphire that had been hollowed out and been given gold clasps and fastenings.

Opening it she removed the shard of clear stone she had found when she was small, turning it over between her fingertips, absorbing the feel of the impossibly smooth stone. It always felt so _warm_... So soothing, like a poultice and bandage on a wound. Like the Sakura petals Ryōshi-san had used on her ankle only months ago...

It struck her now that there was something strange happening around her, something _very_ strange. Her dreams still filled her head with strange places, faces, though Ryōshi-san did seem to be part of them too...

And foxes. Foxes were _always_ present. She guessed it was because she was getting close to her sixteenth birthday. She couldn't be sure of course - if any of the girls before her had experienced such strange night-time habits, they had never mentioned as such.

To be running around revealing such things wouldn't be right at all. If they had revealed them to anyone it would have been the Kamunushi. Naruko would not be doing such a thing though.

She did not trust the spiritual advisors of the village one bit, nor the clan heads. She was grateful for what Ino's father had done for her, but she didn't trust him, and he was her second cousin.

None of the priests liked her much either; tehy always gave her such strange, suspicious looks. They also tried to keep her under control far more than was necessary. They had always urged her parents not to let her outside during grey or wet weather when she was a child, and continued to forbid it more so since they had passed.

No, she would not tell them about her dreams. They would only get worse, and Naruko had very little freedom now, being close to her birthday. She had seen what happened to the other girls in the months leading to theirs.

Etiquette lessons, purification rituals by the priests, fasting, kimono fittings, and even certain horribly invasive procedures, certain _checks_.

Sakura had _raged_ about one, she remembered. As her sister Tayuya had tried seducing the spirit, the priests and Hyūga-sama had concluded she must have indulged in... improper behaviour. The Kamunushi had insisted Sakura be tested to make sure she was not the same.

Naruko had been ready to _kill_ the Kamunushi for that. She'd barely had a day to comfort her friend with Ino before they had her dragged away again.

Naruko wondered if they would do the same to her. She knew she would be sent into solitude soon, to avoid malicious spirits supposedly. She didn't look forward to it much.

Sighing, she replaced the shard back in its sapphire locket, and fastened it around her neck, making sure to hide the pendant beneath her yukata. She didn't know why, but she had a gut feeling the Kamunushi would not react well if they discovered it.

Even as she sat back down on her futon, Ino awoke from her light slumber and after blinking in surprise, threw her arms around her. Naruko returned the hug, welcoming it for once.

Ino was the only friend she had left, and soon, she wouldn't even be allowed to see her.

"I've been so worried! You were asleep for three weeks Naruko! The priests thought you had been cursed! Everyone was so worried... They haven't come out of the council room for weeks but for sleep and food... Thank the spirits you're alright..." Ino sobbed, widening Naruko's a great deal.

Part of it was seeing Ino cry, but the rest was what she spoke of. _Three weeks?_ She had been asleep for three weeks? How could... How could she sleep for so long?

What on earth was happening to her?

Not getting an answer to her question, she feigned laughter, and asked her friend to explain what she had missed over the past few weeks.

Ino's face brightened a little, and Naruko lost herself in Ino's telling of the Nara boy who had been the guard at her door for the past few weeks, one whom Ino seemed to be growing rather fond of.

It had been some time since they both had cause to laugh and enjoy chatter, and despite the fact Naruko could see Ino was setting her self up for pain by attaching herself t the man, she couldn't bring herself to mar Ino's cheer.

She needed some cheer.

* * *

Naruko sighed as she knelt across from the head of the Kamunushi, her hands neatly folded in her lap as the man, Danzoū by name, regarded her with a calm look.

Naruko did not trust this man, but he had always been fair with her when she was a child, always explained well why she was not allowed out into the rain. She did not trust him, but he was always fair, and had always done what he needed to in regards of saving Konohagakure from their curse.

He had been explaining to her what she was likely to see inside the shrine. Old records told the priests what it was like inside the main shrine. He had also been very frank with her, telling the methods that had been used by the spirit in the past.

It was probably something that every clan heiress went through before their sixteenth birthday, and now it was her turn. Dislike of the Kamunushi aside, Naruko was grateful she could speak with the man so frankly.

So far, it had been a very calm chat over a cup of jasmine tea, and the calm was a welcome relief from all the hectic activity that had been surrounding her in her last month before her birthday.

She hadn't seen Ino more than once a week for half an hour...

"Namikaze-sama, I know you to be a very straight-minded girl. You have always been very sensible, and in light of your circumstances, I can only admire your behaviour, but... I'm afraid I must ask a rather impertinent question regarding... The fisherman."

Naruko stiffened, her eyes widening.

"Child, you would _not_ be the first to have formed an attachment before your birthday, and while it is not the wisest decision, I do not fault you for it" Danzoū reassured her, taking a sip of his own tea.

"You don't?" Naruko asked bewilderingly.

"...Your lives are fleetingly short, and not the most pleasant. There is no rule to the curse that forbids some innocent romance. Indeed, it might be a good thing, some normal influence on your lives, a ward against evil spirits, but..." he broke off, regarded her firmly.

"...I must know that it_ remained_ as such. As I said, your behaviour has always been well, but I am aware that you spent some time in the forest with the man..."

Naruko sighed al little in relief - that was all?

"I did. We fell in the river. I simply changed into some clothes to wait for my own to dry, and... I came to terms with certain facts of my life that day. I was too upset for something of untoward to occur" she told him, honestly.

He relaxed a little himself, and nodded, giving a rather odd smile of assurance.

"I will believe you. I trust your judgement - your father may not be here now, but he raised you well. Onto other matters, I must ask your honest opinion of this curse. It may seem a strange question, but it may be important. Your answer will not be repeated unnecessarily" he replied.

Naruko debated lying, defending Konohagakure's ancestors for their actions, but... What did it matter? She was going to die, finally escape this place, what did her opinion matter anymore? It wasn't as if the future was any concern of hers...

"I think this village is simply reaping the rewards of its own seeds, and I highly doubt should she ever be born again, that the female spirit would be satisfied with such a measly penalty" she shrugged.

Then she bade her leave, and headed back to her own home in hopes of quelling the headache that had raged over her mind and sleep since awakening only a few weeks previously.

* * *

Ino darted down the halls on hurried feet only moments after receiving the small, worried note from Shikamaru on the contents of the meeting her father had just been holding with the Kamunushi.

She had just raided her father's study for a small roll of parchment that the seemingly lazy boy had told her of, and while it would most definitely land her in a mountain of misfortune, she had to get it to Naruko before she was taken out of her withdrawn living for the short journey to the shrine night after this.

Shikamaru hadn't been able to tell her much, but he had been able to tell her that the Kamunushi and the Hyūgas had been overthinking something, that they were trying to meddle in things that they ought not to meddle in.

Hence why Ino had in her hand something that her father was looking to burn once he left the meeting.

Finally arriving at the room Naruko had been sent to for her seclusion period she was relieved to see that, as promised, Shikamaru had managed to give distraction to the guards, and the keys were sitting in the lock.

Flicking them around and opening the door, Ino quickly darted into the room, much to Naruko's surprise even as she returned the embrace Ino flung at her.

"Ino! What are you doing here? If the guards catch you-"

Ino made a shushing motion with her finger even as she pulled the tiny scroll from the inside of her obi, and quickly passed it over to her friend.

"I can't explain everything, I don't have much time - Shikamaru is distracting the guards for me. He overheard some things during the meeting and... I don't know what's happening, but the Hyūgas are planning something, and I doubt it good. My father was supposed to give this to you on behalf of your parents if they died, but he was going to burn it instead... I didn't think that _appropriate_, so I stole it from his cabinets" Ino explained, giving her friend one last embrace.

Whatever or whoever she was or might have been before, they had been friends since childhood, and Ino would miss her one she was gone. She had honoured her word to the spirit, and not said anything unnecessary to Naruko, but she was going to miss her.

* * *

Seated inside the small, two wheeled wagon, Naruko was beginning to get nervous.

This was it. Sixteen years of waiting, and today it was her turn to start the last week of her life. Her turn to go to the temple. The same place as her friends had died in past months, where Sakura had died. It was her turn to die.

It didn't feel as scary as she had thought it would, but maybe that was because she still had a week of obligation from the spirit to live through. That would be the real test.

The chants of the Kamunushi as they sounded their blessings and prayers as they walked alongside the wagon were by no means a comfort - it actually annoyed her a great deal. She didn't want the blessings of men who simply saw her as a pig raised for the slaughter.

The only blessings she really cared about were those of Ino, and Ryōshi. If he showed up. The letter from her parents (which had instructions to remain unopened until her last night in the temple before the axe was swung so to speak) also had some comfort in its presence in her obi.

The carriage was soon at the spot by the river where she had first met Ryōshi, and she tried not to be too eager with her eyes in search of him, but he wasn't there... It was a strange relief. Part of her loathed the thought of him seeing her being sent to her death.

After several more minuets they entered the forest, and before she knew it, Naruko had been walked up the steps, past the fox statues, and was suddenly standing in front of the doors of the Honden itself.

The shrine itself was an eerie place, but the main building, the home of the fox spirit... It felt like hatred. The unsettled expression on Ino's face in her peripheral vision told her she wasn't the only one who could sense it either.

The building itself seemed to _writhe_ in anger, no doubt twisted by the malicious spirit, by his fox magic. The place was dark thanks to the surrounding trees, even amongst the sunny rain shower.

It had actually started late yesterday evening, when she had actually turned sixteen, and the sun had shone through it this morning. During a last calm moment with Ino, her friend had notice how the sun made rainbows in he droplets on the leaves.

It had only been a. Small thing, but the moment of natural beauty had calmed her then frazzled nerves.

Absently, Naruko raised a hand to the sapphire locket around her neck, feeling the warmth of the fragment of stone secreted inside it. It had been more of a comfort to her in recent days than she had really noticed till now.

Taking a deep breath, Naruko waited for the priest to finish their chanting. Then she was allowed a tenuous, short goodbye to Ino and Yamanaka-sama and his wife. And brief it was - a short grasp of her hands from Ino, and a bow of respect from both of Ino's parents.

Turning back to the doors of the shrine, Naruko summoned all the will and pride left inside her, and gracefully walked towards the doors. Seemingly by themselves, they slid open just enough for her to pass through as she reached them.

Once on their other side, they slammed shut with force that should not have sounded so final from shōji.

* * *

For several hours, Naruko wandered around the inside of the Honden by herself, inspecting her home for the next week.

The Kamunushi had, of course, completely forbidden it. They had told her she was to head quickly and silently to the receiving room, to sit there, and wait for the spirit to acknowledge her presence. Naruko had done so too... For about half an hour.

The priests had not stated how _long_ she was to wait, and frankly, the fact the spirit still hadn't shown up was rather rude. Not that she'd ever say that. Last thing she desired was to die early. For one thing it would give the Kamunushi chance to boast about how cursed she was...

And in a way, she was curious to meet the spirit. She'd never seen him before, but his anger and rage had affected the village right down to its very existence. Naruko doubted the villagers would know what to do with themselves once the poor girl was found.

She wanted to meet him, see what he looked like. Would he have fox ears or take a human shape? If he did, would his shadow be that of a fox, as they were rumoured to be? How did he know if a girl was his lover reborn? Did he use magic?

Was he just insane, mad with grief so much that he couldn't tell anymore? Was it even possible?

Heading down another corridor, Naruko found what appeared to be a sleeping chamber. At least, it seemed as such by the large futon on the floor. It didn't seem to have been used though. It was clean, but the room was so still that it couldn't have been touched for years.

She examined a few of the scrolls and paintings, the small table and tea set in one corner of the room, before deciding she might as well use the room during her stay. Pulling a comb from her obi (one of the few small things she had managed to smuggle inside with her), she set it down on the pillow.

It had been one of her mother's. A family heirloom centuries old that was still strong. After setting a few more of her things out (a fan, the letter, and a couple of small books she was fond of), she turned to head back and see the rest of the Honden, especially the inner garden (she had always wanted to see it).

As she turned her eyes settled on the tokonoma, in particular a bluish green okimono ball in the centre of the display. It was small enough to fit in the palm of her hand, and yet it dominated the entirety of her sight.

Glancing around to make sure no-one could deem she took several steps closer, managing to refrain from stepping directly within the bounds of the tokonoma as she gave the object a more intense scrutiny.

There was a small chip in one side of it, on closer examination, which made very little sense to the sixteen year old. Why display something that was broken? Was it so important? Glancing at the chip again, she recognised the shape almost immediately.

Before she could test her notion however, she felt it. The sense of anger, hatred and grief that imbued the walls of the mansion stirred and moulded into one directly behind her. It could only mean one thing.

_He was here_.

Turning around, Naruko cast her eyes towards the sliding doors behind her. There was a shadow behind them, the snarling angry shadow of a human, no, a fox. A fox standing on his hind legs with tails snapping and snarling around him. She could almost hear the growl between his jaws...

Instead of fear however, and odd thought struck her. The spirit was also _grieving_. The spirit might be a mad angry killer, but he was also grieving from a loss beyond that a human might understand. Her parents had loved each other, but they did not entrust the care of their spirit tto the other.

That might be a simple lack of ability to most, but Naruko doubted her mother would have done so. Her mother had been rather independent in some ways, and would not have taken kindly to the idea. Her father... He was a businessman. He did not like agreements he couldn't get out of.

How many times, how many years had the spirit spent _waiting_, hoping that his lover might return? How could he hope for so long when it caused him so much grief when his wish was not granted?

It was an odd thought, but Naruko guessed someone had to think it.

Not really knowing how to address the spirit by name or title - it felt a little odd o do so - Naruko fell back to a simple knelt bow of respect. Keeping her hands flat, the sight of floorboards before her eyes was something else reassuring.

Counting the cracks in also helped her maintain the posture for the length of time it took for the doors to slide open, and for the sound of footsteps to creak towards her. They stopped, and the slight warmth in the air of another body was closer than she had expected.

The rustle of robes told her he had crouched down, and she didn't realise how nerves had frozen her till she felt the fingers of one hand run through a few loose strands of her hair. She jolted under the touch, the almost _affectionate_ gesture.

"Your hand..."

He sounded so _human_, so _familiarly_ human. She was beginning to doubt her previous bravado. He sounded so calm, but having seen what happened to Tayuya, she knew he was distinctly not, incredibly easy to goad into monumental rage...

Slowly, being careful not to raise her head, Naruko slid her hand into the waiting, open palmed one and slowly raised herself as it was lifted. His fingers were warm; a little calloused in places, but softer in others and _so warm..._

Still jot lifting her head, afraid of the _familiarity_, afraid of what she might _see_, she watched as his fingers ran over her own, examining them, making his own inspection of them. He was incredibly careful, just like...

He was very careful. He only gave a little hint of his own strength if he wanted to turn her palm up, and let her take most of the gesture, like that small thing, that small force of his own, might be damaging to the human flesh in his hand. Finally, she plucked up the nerve she needed, and lifted her head.

Then her nerve crumbled as familiar black eyes met her own.

* * *

**_And so, Sasuke and Naruko finally meet for the first time! The shit is going to hit the fan next chapter. A lot of things will start speeding up. For one thing, I have a chapter on Sasuke's past relationship with Naruko to get up. I had such fun writing it. Naruko's suck a pesky little fox... XD_**

**_Oh, and I forgot some information on the end of the chapters. Each one has a hit of instrumental music inspiration behind it aside from the flowers and the song quotes. I'll edit the information into the chapters later but for now, here are the first five missed. I recommend listening to them, because they help get a few things across._**

**Chapter 01;** _'Last Agni-Kai'_ by The TrackTeam (Unofficial Avatar The Last Airbender Soundtrack).  
**Chapter 02;** _'And So It Begins'_ by Trevor Mortis (The Tudors Season II Soundtrack).  
**Chapter 03;** _'Strange Names'_ by Kajiura Yuki (Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicle Future Soundscape I)  
**Chapter 04;** _'A Historic Love'_ by Trevor Morris (The Tudors Season I Soundtrack).  
**Chapter 05;** '_Destiny_' by Yasaharu Takanashi (Fairy Tail Soundtrack I).

**_Hope you liked the chapter :)_**

* * *

**Chapter Title;** _'Sakura'_ is Cherry Blossom, and means _'Kind/Gentle'_.  
**Song Quote;** _'Have You Ever Seen The Rain'_ by Rod Stewart.  
**Theme Music;** _'Blossoms'_ by Jerry Goldsmith (Mulan; Original Soundtrack).


	7. Shiragiku: Truth

**The Kitsune's Curse**  
**サスケ & ナルコ**

* * *

A thousand years ago, love was found, a wedding planned, and a murder was committed; since that day, Konohagakure was cursed in recompense until that murdered soul was born again. SasuFemNaru. Kitsune/Japanese Folklore Influence. Twisted Happy Ending and Angst.

* * *

**Chapter Seven**  
**~ Shiragiku ~**

* * *

_In the night when it's hard to sleep,  
enveloped by a tender song, leaning against a wall,  
I was thinking about you again.  
Thought my heart is heavy, I don't forget  
the dream you showed to me, all the love.  
No matter what it takes, nothing disappears.  
The memories you gave to me;  
it is that love which aches tonight. _

* * *

Sasuke had not expected his meeting, his first real meeting with Naruko to go well. He had not been wrong.

As soon as her initial fear had made way to realisation, a fury only she could be capable of swamped her face, and she had coolly, _politely_, pulled her hand back, and walked out of the room. As if she had been burned.

She was now seated on the engawa, looking out onto the inner garden from the room she had claimed has hers, and claimed before over a thousand years previously.

One of the younger foxes had left her some rice and grilled fish with smoked vegetables in a thick soy sauce, but she did not take more than a few small bites. It seemed anger dulled her appetite. That was not good though.

Being so close to the hoshi-no-tama could cause some odd behaviours in a human. She needed to eat until things caught up. Sending a silent order to one of the foxes, he watched as after a few minutes one appeared beside her with a dish of abura-age, and nudged it towards her with her nose.

Naruko glared at the fox, and the offering for quite a while before she finally gave in to her hunger, and quickly finished off the tofu and vegetables with rice the vixen had offered her. Then she moved onto the rest of her food.

Sasuke would have approached her himself, but he knew his presence would be an unwelcome one, and he would not disguise himself to her again.

Watching from the corner, a smile crept onto his face as she stared mournfully at the plate where the Abura-age had been. With a small gesture of one hand, he watched as she jumped back when more appeared on it.

He wished he could explain this all to her, but she would come for answers in her own time. Sasuke was well aware of the hurt he had caused her, and that she needed to be angry for a little while. He could see himself being furious if he were in her place.

However, he also knew she would remember. His brother had fallen in love with a human, and every hundred years he had to fall in love with her all over again. They were always happy for a short while, even if Mei did not remember her past incarnations – she was only a human.

Sasuke would do the same if he had to, but whatever form she took now, Naruko was not human. Her true lifeform slept in recovery along with her memories. She was a fox spirit, one of Inari-sama's beloved children. She would remember in time, if Sasuke was patient enough to give it her.

And so, Sasuke maintained his silent watch for only a few more moments, and then headed back inside to his own rooms. There were a few things that needed attending to of he was to ensure the curse on the villagers had worked.

He did not trust the villagers to keep to their own business with this matter. While Sasuke was perfectly happy to have her angry at him for a hundred years or more, he would not let her slip through his fingers this time.

* * *

Naruko did not hear Sasuke leave, but she could tell he was gone.

She did not know what to think anymore. There was so much obvious guile in the form of Ryōshi that she should have known his true face immediately, and yet she let herself be taken for a fool, an idiot.

Could he not have told her, or given her some warning? Or was this some twisted little game he played with all the girls? Sakura had never mentioned anything, but Naruko had been reluctant to when she and Ino questioned her at first.

How could she not have known? There must have been plenty of times when she could have guessed the fox's true identity! How could she not have seen them? She had spent so much time with him; he must have slipped up at least once...

Even as she tried to think, nothing came to her that would have been obvious. Worse, he had always seemed so sincere in his affection that knowing his true face scared her. She had so many questions, but she did not dare approach after...

…after their initial meeting.

_Naruko blinked and blinked, but the image did not fade from her eyes. The dark hair and eyes in front of her were unmistakeable, but they could not be here..._

_That was impossible! It couldn't be him! It didn't make sense for him to be here... He could not be him! Naruko blinked again, praying for it to be a trick of the light, but those dad eyes were still staring down at her when she opened them a second later._

_She froze as the hand holding hers clenched a little, a thumb grazing over her skin, and realised with unparalleled certainty that she was not dreaming. No, she was stuck in a nightmare, for that was all this could be._

_Regaining herself as he took a step closer, Naruko yanked her hand back, holding it as if he had burned her skin and stepping away. There wasn't much surprise on his face, and that just made it worse. He knew she would react poorly, but had beguiled her all the same?_

_"...I don't understand. Why...? Did you do this to Sakura, Tenten? Is that... We're you so bored that you had to-"_

_"No, and I'll appreciate it if you would not accuse me as such. To even think of doing so would be degrading and insulting" he spat._

_Naruko tried not to balk at his tone, but the fury terrified her. He grabbed her arm firmly, pulling her back and glaring down at her such that Naruko froze again. The face confused her. Why did he have_ his _face? He spoke with_ his _voice too... How could he say he wasn't a monster?_

_"...I won't try and say I've done no wrong but I will ask you to believe me... I did lie to you, but not... I..."_

_He froze, catching himself from saying something, then stepped away, releasing his grip on her arm. It was only once he had released her arm that she realised he had not gripped her painfully at all, even clearly so angry._

_"...this room is yours to use. If you need anything, ask of it" he growled._

_Then he stormed out of the room, closing the shoji doors behind home with an eerie calm. As the door clicked quietly behind him, Naruko collapsed to the floorboards inhaling deeply between heavy sobs she had not realised she had missed._

Naruko still did not understand why he had left, or what he had tried to say. She did know that he had been giving her space however.

He had not approached her at all since he had left the room she had been given. At all. He lingered nearby, she always seemed to be able to tell that much. There was a strong fragrance about him that she could always catch on the air when he was close.

Not that was an unpleasant scent, but it did pose a problem in being exactly the same one she had believed belong only to Ryōshi. She did not know how she was supposed believe they could be one and the same person.

Ryōshi was kind, and easy to fluster. He was distinctly un-fond of the water for a fisherman, but he was patient, and always listened to her worries. He had always known what to do to cheer her up if she had seen the Kamunushi before seeing him, and the flowers…

This spirit was intimidation. She knew nothing of him other than the stories she had heard growing up as a pig for the butchers blade. He scared her. He had killed one of her best friends, and countless others, but claimed he had never lied to her! Was that not lying to her?

She did not understand, and that was the problem. Nothing had been explained. If something was explained, she might feel more at ease with her situation, if not enthused with it. In which case… in which case she would have to speak with the man himself.

The thought was not a pleasant one, but she needed an explanation. Glancing around her room that she had been given, her eyes strayed to the small, chipped ball, to the missing fragment in it that looked so familiar.

There was another thing that confused her. How could that ball be missing a piece that was exactly the same shape as the shard of clear rock contained within her locket? She could not ignore the nagging notion that said she already knew the truth, but she did not believe herself.

"I… I want to speak with you!" Naruko called out, sounding very stupid, calling out to thin air, but it was not as if she knew where his rooms were to knock on the door, and he had told her to ask if she needed anything.

Turning around, she let out a yelp of fright when she found him standing directly behind her already. He waited patiently for her to regain her composure, and she took a small step away from him.

"I want to know why-"

"Why I approached you under a guise?"

Naruko bristled as he finished her thought for her, but nodded. For the first time since she had arriving, she saw a different expression on his face.

"What other way was there?" he asked, and Naruko found she could not think of another way, but it still did not really answer her question. He already had an answer for it before she could reword her query however.

"I wanted to know you. I only intended to do that, but I let myself get caught up in things. It likely seems cruel a thing to have done, but I apologise for it. The last thing I wanted was to make things more difficult I just… I wanted to know you" he said simply

Naruko sighed, realising the implications in his words and not wanting to believe them. It couldn't be her! Maybe she had sympathised with him at some point, and she wasn't much fond of the village, but what clue was that to anything?

"But why? Why now? Why me? I don't understand! How can you think it's me?" she asked, trying to stay calm in spite of how mixed up she felt.

He looked at her, the closed the distance between them. She backed away, hitting one of the solid wood walls, allowing him to trap her. She didn't know what she expected him to do, but it was not what he did.

After wetting his thumb a little, he smeared it over her cheek, revealing one of the whisker-like birthmarks on her face. Her skin burned where he had touched her, and it burned five more times as he rubbed away the thin layers of make-up that covered the others.

"My whiskers…? But they were a curse! The Kamunushi said-"

He snorted, and she held her tongue. She had forgotten for a moment that the spirit was the one who set the curse in the first place. Of course, he would have made something to identify the girl that was the female fox reincarnated but…

"But that's impossible! I'm human…" Naruko mumbled to herself, one of her hands going to her cheek, as if to cover up again the fact that seemed far too easy to see now, so easy she wondered how she had missed it before.

"Children of Inari-sama are tricksters. They take many forms, and they are intelligent. What they learn from on life will be passed on to another. When the villagers killed you, you learned not to show your form in front of them again" Sasuke stated plainly, though his tone implied he was trying to make it easier for her to accept.

His fingers ran over her hand, slowly enclosing them and then he led her away from the wall. She didn't like the idea that he was trying to be helpful; it reminded her too much or Ryōshi, a man who didn't even exist.

Part of her wanted to disagree with the statement. Is told her that in a sense, Ryōshi was a real person. Everything she had seen with Ryōshi was from Sasuke. Hadn't he just said he had approached her under a disguise so he could get to know her?

What was that but the self-same affection that Ryōshi had felt toward her?

"But I don't remember that! I can't be her!" she protested, shaking the thoughts from her head as he led her towards the tokonoma.

"I did not say you were the same person…" the spirit said, still on the same low, gentle tone she had heard Ryōshi san uses so many times previously.

"…of course you would not remember. You share a spirit, but you are different to her. You are a human now, because you have forgotten your own form. You chose surviving amongst humans who would hunt you down rather than your memory when… when the hoshi-no-tama was broken" he stated one more, taking the small ball from the shelf and handing it to her.

She took it haltingly, and very nearly dropped it when it began to glow in her hands, a soft white-yellow glow. In spite of herself, she couldn't help but feel drawn to the small ball. It felt so warm and confronting and understanding in her hands, like holding it would make everything else make sense too.

It felt pale though, as if it was in complete… Naruko bit her lip, thinking of the shard contained in her locket. It could not possibly be what she thought it was. It couldn't be… could it?

"I don't know how to believe any of this…" she insisted stubbornly, shaking her head at the thought of it all.

How could she believe anything he said to her? How was she supposed to believe he actually meant this? How could she do that? What if it was another lie?

As if hearing her thoughts, he took hold of one of her hands once more, smoothing over it with his rough fingers. Slowly, he raised it to his lips, pressing them to the back of it and stilling her breath for a moment.

"I'm sorry" he said quietly.

When she looked up again, he had vanished as easily as he had appeared, and though she did not know for which thing he had apologised for, she could finally believe something he had said.

As she glanced at the stone in her hand, a thought occurred to her; the reason this confused her so much was because she was missing half of the story. She knew the tale of the female spirit of course, how could she not know it? But that was it – it was a story, not the truth.

She needed the rest of the story before she could think about anything.

"Wait! I want you to tell me something else!" she called out.

Turning again, she only jumped a little when she found him behind her. With a distinct goal in mind, she found herself a little more at ease with him.

"I want you to tell me about her. About the fe-"

"Naruto" he corrected; Naruko didn't see that the name was important, but then she stopped that thought. Of course it was important! The female spirit was the doom her ancestors had brought on the village and to the male in front of her…

Well, to say her name wasn't important would have been very insulting indeed. He had waited a thousand years for her, and he was still waiting. He was very unpleasant, and clearly troubled, but to wait for a thousand years… he did have her respect for that.

"…Naruto. I want to know about Naruto" Naruko corrected herself.

Sasuke watched her for a moment, then gestured towards the engawa – a tray with some teacups and tea had already been set there. She took that to mean it was going to be a long story, but she followed him to the seat all the same.

It was about time she figured out the answers to a great many things.

* * *

_**Argh, finally found the time to update something! I wont lie - I havent got alot of time for Fanfiction at the moment. Too may lines to memorise and Homework for college. I am still writing, but please bear with me. I will get around to updating Stupid Sensei again too - this way i have more time to improve my crappy fight scenes and underlying plotlines too.  
**_

_**Naruko is getting to display some of her backbone in this chapter, and she's going to be learning alot in the next xhapter, which will be a flashback chapter from sasuke's point of view, giving us a bit more insight into his relationship with Naruko :)  
**_

**_Hope you liked the chapter._  
_Nat._  
_x_  
**

* * *

**Chapter Title;** _'Shiragiku'_ is a White Crysanthemum, and means _'Truth'_.  
**Song Quote;** _'I Still Love You Boy'_ by Tommy February6  
**Theme Music;** _'Jane Seymour's Theme (Composers Sketch)'_ by Trevor Morris (The Tudors Season III Soundtrack.


End file.
